Israeli photographer Gadi Dagon died Monday night at age 63 Dagon was born in Australia and moved to Israel at a young age with his family.
The prolific photographer began his career in the 1970s in print journalism, specializing in fashion, however, his true calling came with his discovery of the performing arts.
For decades, Dagon was the man holding the camera at every premiere of the Batsheva Dance Company at the Suzanne Dellal Center and any play by Hanoch Levin.
He was a treasured member of the Israeli artistic community. Countless artists called on him time and again to snap photos of their newest creations. Dagon was an incredibly intuitive photographer, as well, always in step with the choreographies he captured, matching his movements with those of the performers on stage. His photographs present all of the glory and complexity of performance. His studio was, at any time, filled to the brim with hundreds of thousands of images, in which nearly every person to set foot on stage in Israel could be found.
He published various books over the years such as Ehad Mi Yodea: Ohad Naharin and Batsheva Dance Company, with whom he worked closely for nearly 30 years.
Gadon showcased his photographs in a long list of exhibitions throughout Israel. He was known to mentor up-and-coming photographers, generously extending his expertise and connections their way.