Daniel Dreifuss, Staff Photographer

Name: Daniel Dreifuss
Title: Staff Photographer

What was your very first camera, and what do you shoot with now?  My first camera was a Canon film camera, and it had a lens with an electric zoom, which I have never seen since. I traded a Dickies jacket for it and started taking photos of friends and family. I currently shoot with Canon gear.

Name your top three most memorable shoots.  It’s hard to choose three. The Montecito mudslide for many reasons, mostly because it was so close to home. Photographing my first L.A. Kings game. I am a huge L.A. Kings fan, and that game was during the same season they won their first Stanley Cup. My third would be covering a caravan traveling through Mexico for the United Nations Refugee Agency. The experience of being on the front lines of an international story and hearing the stories of the refugees was intense. I learned a lot about myself and what kind of person I want to be from that assignment.

What advice do you have for young shutterbugs?  First, learn to shoot film. Learn how to determine an exposure without a camera that does it for you. Also shoot, then shoot some more, and after that, shoot even more. Learn from your photographs. Reach out to other photographers and ask for help. Attend workshops, listen to speakers, and go to local art shows. Also, never give your work away for free. It will only hurt you in the long run.