MSN INTERVIEW 2: DEREK DIX

Decided to swtich it up, and get someone who's behind the lens for once, and who better than Derek Dix?

Age: 21 as of Dec 6
Height: 6' ish
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Years shooting: 6

Hey Dude, interview time, lets do it!
gangsta alright

First off do you remember what camera you first shot with? Also whats in your bag nowadays?

Ya, it was an old Pentax ME super. I wish I knew where that thing was still so I could use it. Right Now I have...
Canon 20D
70-200 f/2.8
11-16 f/2.8
18-125 f/3.5-5.6
Bronica SQ-A w/ 80mm f/2.8, 3 Sunpak 555's and PDubs and Brollies

awesome, I shot with a pentax too, Pentax MZ10 hhaha garbaaage

so hows the whole "art school" thing treating you? I get the term art fag alot, anyone calling you that out in Calgary?

hahahaha Not really, you're the only one thats thrown that my way, theres been a few jokes about me switching up the wardrobe to skinny jeans and deep v's though... Which wont happen haha


haha. Skinny jeans are a thing to have when attending art school

I picked up some straigh legs but dont think I'm gonna get skinny jeans. Kinda over the fresh dress thing though.




Besides the jeans, and the jokes, is ACAD a great school? I've heard really good things, especially the photo program which you are attending

Ya ACAD is super solid, most of the kids there are pretty cool too, theres a few that are a bit suspect but thats art school haha. Theres sort of a rift between the fine arts and design departments at the school. Design and Photo are super structured and intense, I don't even get to pick my courses for the rest of my degree. It's crazy too that I'm with the same 18 people until I'm done.

...I just hope we don't all grad with all our work looking the same after 3 years together


Thats sounds awesome man, alot different than the program I'm taking

So enough school bullshit, how the girls in Calgary? haha im just kidding.. the MTB scene in Calgary... any good? shooting much of it? or just the funny buisness portraits that I've been seeing.

Hahaha girls here are... um... no but for real its hard to shoot MTB here, I managed to dangle a good amount of stuff in the fall which was really nice but once it starts raining the mud gets too tacky to ride jumps and then snow comes. I did shoot this wallride on Friday night though which was super fun. Other than that though I do find myself doing alot more lifestyle and snowboard stuff.

yeah understandable... everyone I've talked to are loving the lifestyle images, there FRESH


You have any summer shooting plans once schools ended for 2009?

I'm inbetween if I want to move back up to Whistler and do the same thing I did last summer, which no doubt was unreal or if I want to move back in with my parents, either has it's ups and downs but no doubt my mom and dad are hilarious and I'm starting to miss them after not really living at home for the last 2 years. Either way though I want to get mad amounts of digging done to have some original nugs to shoot, I used to be way more about building than I have been in the last few years

yeah dude for sure, parents are awesome, I miss mine alot as well
hahah I sounds like im 12 for saying that, I hope I dont get called out. I just miss the whole family scene.



You did used to be all about the digging, back in the day with your trail that a million people poatched, overflow, that trail was sick!

hahah I actually hiked it and shot on it last time I was in Vancouver

Really? What kind of shape was it in?

All the wood work is pretty much done, theres fallen trees everywhere too. It would be cool to rebuild but that took me, connor, ash and sandy so many hours to put together the forsest should probably just reclaim it.

For sure, thats to bad... it was so gnarly back in the day

ya haha I think we had the first gap to ladder bridge on it after hearing about diggers gap to logride that Thomas did
Yeah I think you're right

Is there any photographers out there, you try and base your own work off of?

Ya latley I've been really digging Terry Richardson just because he's blowing up HUGE, even though he was already pretty famous. Julian Meijer has some solid stuff too that I've seen. I've always been stoked on Estevan Oriol and Boogie for their stuff. In the sports world I've gotta shout out to Harookz, Sterling, Hylands... and probably the whole WAW community.

All those guys are what originally got me into shooting.

yeah WAW was a big reason I got so stoked on shooting sports, just a bunch of rad guys
Ya, hands down the best resource for kids that want to get into the whole action sports photo scene.



yeah no dout, Brian and the guys are killing it


So uhh Mr dix what is you take on the current economic crisis?

Pretty much the economy is in the hole, there's no way around it. Basically Danny Brody may or may not be fucked, but I guess thats why he had to spring for a Cali trip for a breather. But lets get down to brass tax the way I see it everyone is skiming with money beucase of this but the only way to fix it is to be spending money that isnt on credit or loan. What I'm saying is people should spend some cash on some nice things like expensive denims or art.


okay haha this is getting long, and I never know how to end these so good luck on your exams dude! Keep killin it! ill cya over christmas



Ya we should for sure tear it up over christmas.

100% getting rowdy... Later man!

You can check out Derek's work at http://www.derekdixphoto.com


Mike Reid.