Jan Dago was born and grew up in Denmark, where a childhood interest in visual expression began. At first, he made short movies, but the power of the still image gripped him more. Eventually, photojournalism—particularly that exploring the human aspect in a story—became his main focus.
During the 1980s, Dago continued with photography, while working at a variety of jobs, from serving in a camera shop to cleaning slaughterhouses at night. As his work improved, he became an assistant in an advertising photography studio. In 1990, he became an apprentice at Jyllands-Posten, and worked at the newspaper for the next five years. In 1994, Dago turned freelance, in order to concentrate on more in-depth projects, returning to work as a newspaper staff photographer after ten years. His photos have been published in a wide number of international magazines, and he is currently employed at Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, Denmark’s leading newspaper, where his work involves a variety of assignments, both in Denmark and abroad.
