Biography

After completing a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts, Dean immediately entered the world of commercial photography where he was immersed into the studio environment and thrived as a jewellery and product photographer for the next 10 years. While working at two prestigious studios in South Africa he studied the technicalities of lighting and nurtured his eye for detail, colour and composition. During this time Dean also lectured advanced digital photography at South Africas renowned creative institution, Vega School. In 2012 Dean became independant and continued to freelance for his clients while traveling between South Africa and Chile until finally settling in Santiago in 2017. Dean joined a progressive fashion studio where he worked with some of the leading creatives in the industry while building a broad portfolio shooting for local fashion brands, top designers and magazines.  In 2020 he sought new opportunities in Europe and now resides and works from his base in Lisbon, Portugal.

His personal work is more laid back in comparison to the commercial work he is exposed to daily. Mostly working in black in white, he pairs back all distraction and only presents elements in his images that are deliberate. His work is a manifestation of the environment in which he experiences life, interactions, conversations, relationships and emotions through the photographic medium. While the images can sometimes speak quite literally, oftentimes they are metaphorical representations of his thoughts and experiences expressed through the camera and carefully tailored to create an almost classic imagery, often described as “clean”.  

The moment of contemplation which the viewer takes to experience his work can be described as peaceful, perhaps even sombre, though piqued by the carefully considered compositions, smooth tonalities or the delicate balance of objects.