thomas dagg: new blog: life

I have a camera with me about 99% of the time. Even when I sleep, I keep one beside my bed.

I created a second blog, "life", to have a place to post my documentary work as I shoot it.

I can split my photographic interest into two main efforts. The first, which is what the blog you're on now (and my website) focuses on, is portraiture and thought out concepts. The light/subject/location is more or less planned, and I am in control. This is my main passion: personalities.

This new blog is a bit harder to explain; it's part photostory, part visual journal and part experiment. I can contribute the photo documentary influence to Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, William Klein, James Nachtwey and Vivian Maier (I had to limit myself to 5). I am constantly inspired by street/photo documentary work.

There's something romantic about shooting the world around you. I'm looking forward to going through these images in five, ten or even twenty years and seeing how the subject matter, the people I surround myself with, and the places themselves change.

This is the reason I bought my Fuji X100. It's probably the favourite in my 3 camera arsenal. The retro styling, small size, powerful chip, 35mm lens and super silent shutter give it this unassuming quality; no one ever pays attention to it (unless they're photo nerds).

Before I bought the X100, I carried around my small Ricoh KR5 Super 35mm camera) so I find myself shooting the Fuji like I did tri-x. It's always either 400, 800 or 1600ISO. It just so happens that the X100 at 1600ISO produces a look I love, which is why I almost always leave it set to that.

BUT, it's way more about the moments then the gear. I limit my post work to capture one with just a levels, curves, and black and white adjustments; the files will be kept away from Photoshop at all costs to maintain as much rawness as I can.