DIXIE DIXON: life on film

January 01, 2012 — They say everything’s bigger in Texas, and in the case of Dixie Dixon, this holds true. This Texas born and bred fashion photographer is living a big life. Just a few years out of college, the 20-something is jet-setting her way onto the short list of elite fashion photographers, with a nose to the grindstone approach and a can’t-get-me-down sunny attitude. 

Oh, and her name is Dixie Dixon. Try forgetting that one. Fashion editors, designers and blue chip clients who’ve worked with Dixon like Ford Models, Inside Edition and Kodak won’t soon forget it, either. Though the moniker was christened by a childhood friend years ago (Dixie’s given name is Lyndsay), it has stuck, and has been an asset in the world of fashion photography where creating fantasy is part of the game—one that she is passionate about to the nth degree. 

“Photography is my life,” says Dixon, who has traveled the globe in the last three years on fashion assignments. “Honestly, I’m an incurable dreamer with a wild imagination. That’s what I truly love about fashion photography—there are no rules, no boundaries, just pure self-expression. Anything your mind can imagine, you have the power to create.” 

I’m not sure Dixon could have imagined where she’d be in just three short years after graduating from Texas Christian University [TCU], where she majored in entrepreneurship in the Neeley School of Business (she minored in art). She decided to go in that direction after a pivotal moment in high school, when her photograph was chosen as the front cover image for the yearbook.

“I realized then how much I truly enjoyed making pictures,” Dixon recalls. “I knew I wanted to make a business out of photography, which is why I went to TCU—to learn the business side of things.”

During college, Dixon assisted photographers on the weekends, and took portraits of anyone who would sit still. During her senior year, she applied for a photography study abroad program through Syracuse University. She was accepted, and went to London to study with renowned photographer Jeff Licata and well-respected educator Doc Mason.

“Jeff taught me how to see the world differently… how to create beauty with the lens,” says Dixon. “This [time in London] is when I really fell in love with fashion photography.”

Licata, whom Dixon describes as “wonderful” and “down to earth,” taught Dixon how to photograph models—how to highlight certain aspects of the face and figure, and how to capture the clothes. He also taught her the practicals of setting up a shoot, and how to work with other creatives like art directors and make-up artists. He was generous in his teachings—and pushed his eager student outside of her comfort zone on a shoot in Prague. 

Dixon remembers, “I got to direct the model on the shoot—I was so nervous— and I remember I was trying to put the camera on the tripod while I was shaking like crazy,” she says with a laugh. Though she was green then, and in many ways still is, Dixon contends that what she lacks in knowledge, she makes up for with enthusiasm. She continually challenges herself, and doesn’t back down from a situation, which has allowed her to push through barriers at warp speed, resulting in a talent far more mature than her years.

“I’ve always been positive, because I think the mind controls a lot of what happens to you… your thoughts become your actions,” Dixon says. “When something comes up on a shoot, I just try to problem solve and keep that positive attitude.”

Dixon’s strong sense of self is rooted in her upbringing, where she lived what she describes as a grounded life growing up in Houston and Dallas as an only child. Her parents have strongly supported her career, and now live close to Dixon’s home in 
Dallas. 

“My dad was always interested in photography, but he was of the generation that if he had told his parents he wanted to do photography for a living… I don’t think that would have happened,” Dixon says. 

Her dad became an engineer instead, and taught Dixon how to use her first camera. Her mom loves fashion. 
“She’s been great at helping me generate ideas and come up with cool concepts,” Dixon says. “My parents are excited that I’m pursuing what I’m passionate about.”

Though her parents are a short drive away from her home, she doesn’t spend much time there. During the tail end of 2011, she was in Vancouver, Miami, Costa Rica, Ibiza, Barcelona and Los Angeles. Though rattling off the list of places she’s been has her racking her brain, she’s quick to say, “It’s been a blast.”

A lot of the travel she’s been doing is related to her work on a TV show called Get Out for HDNet, which follows bikini models as they travel to different locations.

Her work on Get Out is an example of the marquee jobs she’s landed since hiring an agent a year and a half ago; another is a campaign she shot for Florsheim shoes. 

“I flew out to LA, and we shot models at Union Station, which was this really cool, old train station and we shot on a train car. There were about 20 people on set… it was a really fun opportunity,” she says.

Dixon will be talking in depth about her experiences on these and other shoots at this year’s WPPI conference, in her tongue-in-cheek program called “Get Lit.” 

“I’m going to talk about a no-rules approach to lighting—simple lighting setups that you can do on the fly,” she says. The talk will cover everything from using natural light to strobe light setups, as well as pointers on setting up a fashion-type shoot.

“This is valuable for portrait and wedding photographers, because their clients are looking at fashion magazines and want that fashion edge,” she says. “These stylized shoots can attract bigger clients… it’s something to offer that’s different.”

While this is Dixon’s first Platform Class, she has spoken at the WPPI Road Show and she’s been attending WPPI for the last four years. She remembers her first WPPI in 2008, seeing Matthew Jordan Smith, a seasoned fashion photographer, speak. The bold and friendly Dixon approached him after his talk and asked if she could shadow him. On her next trip to LA, she was assisting the America’s Next Top Model veteran on one of his book projects. 

“It makes me so happy to be able to work with such beautiful, creative people inside and out,” Dixon muses. 
Don’t let the blonde ponytail and shiny personality fool you. Behind this pretty exterior and exciting talent is true grit. 
To see more of Dixie Dixon’s work, visit her Web site at www.dixiedixon.com.  

Dixie Dixon will be teaching the Platform Class, “Get Lit”, at WPPI 2012 on Sunday, February 19, from 9:00-11:00 a.m.