A Day In The Life Of Dixon Hamby – An Incredible Environmental Portrait Mobile Travel Photographer
Welcome to our very exciting new column on theappwhisperer.com. This section entitled ‘A day in the life of …’ is where we’ll be taking a look at some hugely influential, interesting and accomplished individuals in the mobile photography world. People that we think you will love to learn more about.
This is the twenty first installment of the series, you can read the others here, if you have missed them so far. Today, we are featuring the very well known and incredibly talented mobile photographer, Dixon Hamby. 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.
Check out the full interview below…
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.
You can find all the links to the apps mentioned at the end of this article.
(If you would like to be interviewed for our new ‘A day in the life of …’ section, just send an email to Joanne@theappwhisperer.com, and we’ll get it set up.)
First Things First…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Girl and her dog’
JC – Let’s start at the beginning of the day, how does your day start?
DH – At my age first check to see if everything is still working 😉 I have been practicing Buddhism for 38 years so I start the day by reciting a portion of the Lotus Sutra and chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.
Magic Hour…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘1 Pike Place Drum’
JC – Do you like to head out and take photographs early on?
DH – I like shooting any time of the day, but prefer light in morning and twilight.
Photographer vs Mobile Photographer…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Girr and her dog’
JC – How did the transition from traditional photographer to mobile photographer develop?
DH – I came down with a serious illness (fibromyalgia) and could no longer lift my Canon equipment. Looked at my iPhone and said, Hey this has a camera in it.
New Apps…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Strutting Their Stuff’
JC – Do you like to download new mobile photography apps regularly?
DH – Yes, but very particular now. At one time had hundreds of apps. Now down to one screen of apps that I use.
Updates…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Occupy Seattle’
JC – How often do you update your existing apps?
DH – Usually daily.
Location, Location, Location…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Tulips’
JC – Where’s your favorite place in the world for a shoot?
DH – Capitol Hill area of Seattle and anywhere in Panama. But if anyone wants to finance a trip to Barcelona my mind could be changed.
Tools Of The Trade…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Flowers’
JC – Do you also use mobile photography tool apps, such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris?
DH – I always am aware of when sun rises and sets. I wake up before sunrise.
Favorite Apps….
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Busker’
JC – What are your favorite mobile photography apps currently?
DH – Camera+, Filterstorm, Snapseed, PSExpress and experimenting with 645Pro.
Sharing…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘busker’
JC – Where do you like to upload your photographs? Flickr, Instagram?
DH – May favorite by far is Google+. Also upload to Flickr, Tumblr and Eyeem. Since Facebook bought Instagram don’t trust loading photos there, but at times post something. Also post links to Facebook, but not photos on Facebook. Too many places, though FlickStackr makes it easy to upload to multiple sites with one post.
Frequency…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘The Posies’
JC – Do you take photographs with your iPhone everyday?
DH – Of course!
Favorite Subjects…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Shoe Shine Man’
JC – What are your favorite subjects?
DH – People and the environment they exist in.
Top Five Tips…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Gamblers and Hookers’
JC – What are you top five tips for mobile photography?
DH –
Learn the basics of good design.
Study the masters.
Get out of your car. WALK
Aways be ready. Auto lock off.
Be fearless
Editing…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘islataboga’
JC – Do you edit images on your iPhone or do you prefer to do that on a desktop/laptop?
DH – On iPhone except I prefer to do critical cropping on laptop. Cropping can make or break an image.
Videography…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Cascoviejjo’
JC – Do you enjoy videography with your iPhone?
DH – I do, but don’t do very much of it.
The Future Of Mobile Photography…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Embera’
JC – Where do you see the future of mobile photography heading?
DH – It won’t be considered as much a special category. After all it’s all photography.
Popularity…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Football In The Churchyard’
JC – What do you think is the most popular area of mobile photography?
DH – Well, I can tell you my hits go WAY up when I post photos of an erotic nature (not to mention blood pressure too, Dixon, I should think 😉. So as far as what people like to view that wins hands down. As far as shooting probably street images.
Where In The World…?
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Policia’
JC – Do you think it’s country specific, are some nations more clued up?
DH – What I enjoy most about it is the vast community of “friends”I have made all over the world.
iPhone 5…
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Jumped’
JC – What do you hope for in the iPhone 5?
DH – That I can get my hands on one.
TheAppWhisperer.com
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Sick’
JC – What do you think of Joanne and theappwhisperer.com?
DH – Joanne rocks! Are you married? LOL
JC – Yes, sorry Dixon, if only I’d known how you felt, things could’ve been so different 😉
Complete Links To All The Apps Used And Mentioned In This Article
Contact Details For Dixon Hamby
Copyright Image – Dixon Hamby – ‘Smoking Hot’
Website – www.dixonhamby.com
Twitter – link
Facebook – link
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)
2 Comments
Lisa
Great interview and images!! How much time do you spend in Panama, btw?
Gerry Coe
Great images, like the humour in them. Barcelona, be there very soon, well close by. Valencia is my favourite city.