Dotan Saguy
About
Dotan Saguy was born in a small Israeli kibbutz, grew-up in a diverse working class Parisian suburb and emigrated to the United States at the age of 25. In 2015 Dotan decided to leave his successful high-tech career to focus on his lifelong passion for photography. He then attended the prestigious Eddie Adams Workshop, Missouri Photo Workshop, studied photojournalism at Santa Monica College, and quickly garnered awards and recognition in the field. Dotan’s photographs have been published by National Geographic, The Guardian, the Los Angeles Times and many others. He has been leading street photography and documentary workshops for the Leica Akademie, Momenta Workshops, and has started Storyteller Workshops in partnership with Gail Fisher, a distinguished photographer and editor from National Geographic and the LA Times. To date Dotan has published three monographs with the famed German publisher Kehrer Verlag: “Venice Beach, the Last Days of a Bohemian Paradise” (2018), “Nowhere to Go but Everywhere” (2020) and “DOGTOWN, the Pups of Venice Beach and their Humans” (2024). Dotan lives in West Los Angeles with his wife, Abigail and their dog, Beau.
Scheduled to Teach
Gallery
LACP Interviews Dotan Saguy
LACP asks Dotan Saguy ten questions about their background, career in and beliefs about photography.
Los Angeles Center of Photography: What kind of photographer are you?
Dotan Saguy: I’m a street, documentary, and travel photographer, primarily working in black and white, though I love experimenting with color when the subject demands it. My focus is on capturing strong, decisive moments, and I’m always striving to juxtapose those moments within complex compositions. One of my greatest joys in photography is sharing this passion with others through teaching workshops.
LACP: How long have you been photographing?
DS: I’ve been shooting since my teenage years, inspired by my dad, who was an amateur photographer with the only darkroom in our small town. He’s the one who gave me the photography bug, and I’ve been passionate about it ever since.
LACP: Where did you get your training?
DS: I was self-taught for the first 20 years, learning through books and magazines, until I decided to pursue photography professionally. At that point, I attended several renowned training programs in photojournalism and documentary photography, including Leica Akademie, Santa Monica College, the Eddie Adams Workshop, and the Missouri Photo Workshop.
LACP: When did you know you wanted to devote your life to photography?
DS: I didn’t realize my passion for photography would become a full-time pursuit until my mid-40s. Before that, I had a happy and successful career as a high-tech entrepreneur. But in 2015, I decided it was time to explore photography as a career if I was ever going to take the leap.
LACP: Did you ever come close to giving up?
DS: It wasn’t so much about giving up as it was losing sight of why I chose to pursue photography in the first place. At times, I felt the pressure to chase goals that I later realized weren’t my own. My goal with this second career has always been to do work that brings me joy—whether it’s shooting projects I’m passionate about or sharing my knowledge and love for photography with others. So far, that’s what keeps me fulfilled.
LACP: Have you sacrificed anything by being a photographer?
DS: I was earning significantly more as a high-tech entrepreneur, but I don’t see that as a sacrifice. I am doing what I love and feel like at this point in my life this is what I need to optimize for.
LACP: What have you gained by being a photographer?
DS: Photography has been both a meditation and a passport into other people’s lives. It’s made me more curious, perceptive, and attuned to the world around me. Beyond the personal growth, it’s also connected me to a vibrant community of like-minded people, which has been incredibly rewarding.
LACP: What classes do you teach at LACP?
DS: I have taught street, documentary and travel photography on multi-day workshops for several other renowned organizations. I will mainly be teaching street photography at LACP both online and in person in Venice Beach.
LACP: What do you love most about teaching?
DS: I love teaching the techniques and methodologies that have had the greatest impact on my own work. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing students transform through the course of a workshop. I always ask participants to share five images they’re most proud of before we begin. Watching their skills evolve and seeing how much their photography improves by the end brings me immense joy and fulfillment.
LACP: What advice would you give someone who is thinking about making a career in photography?
DS: My first piece of advice is to have a solid financial plan. Unless you’re focused on high-paying specialties like weddings, events, or high-paying commercial work, it’s essential to realistically assess how you’ll sustain a living from photography. Traditional paths such as staff photojournalism, documentary assignments, and stock photography have largely dried up. And now, with A.I. poised to further reshape the industry, adaptability is more important than ever. To thrive, you’ll need to be a self-starter and an entrepreneur at heart, constantly creating your own opportunities in this fast-changing landscape. It can be an exciting and rewarding career, but definitely not for the faint of heart!