Extension Of The I With Dixon Hamby – Awesome Mobile Travel Photographer
Welcome to another new series of interviews and insights that we are running on theappwhisperer.com, we are delighted that our A Day In The Life Of Series is so popular and successful and will continue to run that, we love it. This new section, entitled, Extension Of The I, goes deeper into the photographic aspects of mobile photography. It delves into the lives and thoughts and influences that our interviewees experience from their photography. No other mobile photography website reaches the depths and emotions of the mobile photographers as we do in this series of interviews.
We think you’re going to enjoy this, a lot. Today, we are featuring the very well known and incredibly talented mobile photographer, Dixon Hamby. We recently interviewed Dixon for our A Day In The Life of Series, if you missed that you can read it here. Dixon is a Northwest native, Boeing web and graphic designer escapee. He left his native land to become a travel photographer. Fate hit him on the head (literally) in Panama when an errant palm frond fell and injured his neck, thereby rendering him unable to lift his DSLR. iPhoneography filled the void and his creativity took a new direction. Dixon’s work has been featured in numerous books, blogs and galleries.
Dixon does not normally write down the apps he uses for each image, his normal process for color is:
1. Camera+ Clarity
2. Some images he then uses Filterstorm Enhance.
3. On images that he turns part of image to B&W he uses Filterstorm.
For B&W Dixon uses PSExpress or Snapseed.
(If you would like to be interviewed for our new ‘Extension Of The I’ section, just send an email to Joanne@theappwhisperer.com, and we’ll get it set up.
So, without further ado, let us begin…
First Things First…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘SCORE! Futbol in the street’
JC – How did you get started in photography?
DH – I started at relatively late age. Took Visual Communications with an emphasis in Photography in college and feel in love with photography.
Influences…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby
JC – Who and what are your influences?
DH – Henri-Cartier Bresson, W. Eugene Smith and Daisaku Ikeda.
Subjects…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby
JC – What draws you to the subjects you seek?
DH – Boy, thats a tough question. I think it is more intuition than anything. Design also is a factor.
Communication…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby
JC – What is it about these subjects that you want to capture/communicate and ultimately convey in your images?
DH – Either the beauty of a scene or the interaction between people and their world.
Decisions…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby
JC – How did you “settle” on this subject?
DH – Intuition
Exploration…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘sex freaks’
JC – Is there another area/subject that you would like to explore, if so, what and why?
DH – I try to stay open to new visions.
Influences…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby
JC – Which photographers (not necessarily mobile photographers) do you most admire and why?
DH – Henri-Cartier Bresson because he was the first great "street photographer" and a master of timing. W. Eugene Smith for his courage and being a pioneer in photojournalism.
Street Photography…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby
JC – Henri Cartier-Bresson is/was in many ways the Godfather of street photography, even in the 1930s he enjoyed using a small camera for discretion in order to capture people and tell a story-do you feel this way regarding mobile photography?
DH – The iPhone is a revolutionary tool in street photography. Always with you, easy to use and a darkroom in your pocket.
Technique…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby
JC – Tell us about your photographic technique do you rely on intuition or do you believe in a more formal/trained approach?
DH – Intuition first then my formal training kicks in.
Evolution…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby
JC – How has your photography evolved?
DH – Well, I used to make money doing it and don’t now LOL. I have moved from more commercial images to images that I find interesting.
All For One…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby
JC – Many of the great photographers, Jacques Henri Lartigue, Robert Frank, Henri Cartier Bresson described only shooting images for “themselves”do you see this attitude with mobile photographers?
DH – I am not sure why others take photos. I just love doing it.
Risks…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘queen of perpetual indulgence’
JC – Do you take risks with photographs, push boundaries? If yes, please give examples, if no, why not, would you like to?
DH – I think I have, especially with my "street art" images. Many are very graphic in detail.
Favorite Image…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘elders’
JC – What is your favorite picture, of your own and why?
DH – I really cant pick one. The images that mean the most to me are ones of concerts, which I used to shoot a lot. Love live music and had the great fortune to see most of the greats during the 60’s and 70’s. But they aren’t mobile photos.
Emotional…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘erotic photographer’
JC – Do you get emotionally involved with your photography?
DH – They can evoke emotion and hopefully at times do for others.
Entwined…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘honey bee’
JC – Does your life become entwined with your subjects?
DH – No
Post-Processing…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘oops’
JC – Do you have a special post-processing style?
DH – I usually use Camera+ Clarity filter first. At times do more work with Filterstorm. For B&W I use PSExpress or Snapseed.
Tips For Post-Processing…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘folklife’
JC – Do you have any tips for post-processing?
DH – Master a few powerful apps.
Workflow…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘bottleneck lounge’
JC – Do you have a digital workflow system to sort your images, if so what is it?
DH – I sort them by equipment shot with and where they were taken.
Development…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘real doll’
JC – How do you think photography has changed over the years?
DH – It is much harder to make money. Everyone has a camera and some will give away or sell their work for almost nothing.
35mm Film Days…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘my hood’
JC – As a mobile photographer you’re at the cutting edge of technology, do you ever hanker for the 35mm film days?
DH – No. I spent many years in the darkroom and don’t miss the chemicals at all. I worked in graphic design and started using Photoshop with version 1.0. From that moment I knew photography would never be the same and was an earlier user of digital equipment.
Apps With Links Used In This Article…
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)