BLACKRAPID SPOTLIGHT: Jay Dickman

Jay Dickman

FirstLight Workshop: Photojournalism/Travel

As a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist and National Geographic photographer, Jay Dickman is a highly traveled, experienced and celebrated photographer. In addition to the Pulitzer Prize (and multiple domestic and international awards), Jay won the World Press Golden Eye for his photography.

Jay’s shot more than twenty-five assignments for the National Geographic Society, and has taught workshops for: Santa Fe Workshops, the Maine Media Workshops, Photography at the Summit and American Photo Mentor Series.

Jay and his wife, Becky, are founders of the FirstLight Workshop series, having hosted multiple workshops in France, Spain, Scotland, Italy, Namibia, Mongolia, the Chesapeake, and Wyoming. FirstLight was featured in American Photo magazine as one of the top 10 photographic workshops.

Working with National Geographic Expeditions, Jay has been on more than 100 Expeditions/Workshops/Adventures as the “National Geographic Expert.” These have included 15 “Around the World by Private Jet” trips, Expeditions to Svalbard, Cape of Norway, British Isles, Northwest Passage, Dalmatian Coast, Baja, Galapagos, and Antarctic/South Georgia & the Falklands. Jay has led National Geographic Adventures, which include: “Walking with the Maasai,” “Tanzania Photo Adventure”, “Namibia Culture and Wildlife Adventure” “Sri Lanka Photo Expedition,” “Tuscany Photo Adventure,” and “Japan Photo Adventure.” Working with National Geographic, Jay has also presented more than 15 lectures for the Society. Jay was cited as one of Travel + Leisure Magazine’s “Ten Fascinating People You Can Travel With in 2017”.

PhotoBlog.com also cited “Where’s Jay” (Jay’s blog) as one of the 45 best photography blogs.

As a working pro, Jay is a a Lexar “Elite” Photographer, Olympus Visionary, and a Singh-Ray Ambassador. He is co-author of the best-selling book, “Perfect Digital Photography”, published by McGraw-Hill.

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Let’s try nearly drowning on the Futaleufú Rive for a photo!!

I was photographing the Futaleufú (FuF) for Steve Connatser’s “Traveler Overseas” magazine. One of the last undammed, class V (+) rivers, the Fu is a whiter-rafter’s holy grail. We did 5 days on the river, the last included a series of Class 5 rapids, one following the other.

I was sitting on the front of a Cataraft , two pontoons with single rowing seat on top of a platform. At the top of one mountainous wave, we did a plummet to the trough, I was thrown off, sucked under, and I was under water for about 45 seconds. I popped up, saw the raft, and was dragged under immediately for about 15 seconds.

Surfacing the third (and last)time, fortunately I came up right by the cataraft. I was dragged on board, just as we entered the next series of rapids. I had an underwater housing in my hands, when I was pulled aboard, I had to pry my fingers open, my palms lacerated by my fingernails in the “death-grip” I had on the housing handle. I remember, all I could think of when being washing-machined underwater, that if I didn’t survive, my wife was going to be so ticked off.