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On my father's birthday, October 29, I was born to Garland Dean and Maria Esther Powell in Huntington Long Island. My father, an art director and a master painter and illustrator, impressed on me the joy of esthetics, while my mother taught me a profound compassion, love & kindness toward all living things. Both qualities would later prove essential to my career and personal life. while sitting in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, listening to the boys choir. It's a moment I'll never forget.
 In 1972, my father built a darkroom in the family basement where my older brother, Dean Jr., began to teach me to process and print black & white photographs. Dean Jr. would make the exposures and pass me the paper to develop in the "magic water". And so began my career at 7 years of age, with black & white printing to become a great love.
At 16 years of age, I began my professional career working as a photographic assistant for my brother at Dean Powell Studio, 32 Union Square East. I then began to assist photographers in New York in the same capacity during that summer. My first published work at 16 was a photograph of a bible for the American Bible Society, shot & printed from a 4x5 Polaroid negative. In 1986 I moved to New York and began to work as an aprentice photographic assistant and layout artist. In 1987, after one year of study at The School of Visual Arts, I turned my back on formal education and decided instead to take on my own development and work as a freelance assistant photographer full time.
 My freelance career brought me together with hundreds of photographers and I experienced uncounted photographic situations & travels over the next 9 years. On two occasions I moved away from New York to get a better taste of the world. After the passing of my mother in 1992, I traveled Europe for three months. I knew my mother would not want me to be depressed about her death, and felt that the trip would do me good. I finally came to terms with my mothers death and made peace with her while listening to the choir in the Cathedral of Notre Dame.
I photographed in France, Italy and Spain. In italy I stayed five weeks photographing models and living with some collage students I had met in Milan. Milan soon became my favorite European city.
 Then I went on to stay for a month with my cousin Miriam in the south of Spain where I helped build a stone building to be used as horse stables for Uri, Dancer, and Sheba, the horses so dear to Miriams heart. And to tell the truth, Building those stables, the horses and my cousins family were the best things that I experienced in Europe. The direction of my life was altered because of them.
After returning to the states and living in NY again for some time, I purchased a Pentax 6x7 camera and moved to Miami Beach for six months in 1993. I began building my portfolio and working primarily with NY & European photographers working on location there. Marino Parisotto Vay, the Italian photographer, being my greatest & most enjoyable photographic influence during the "Miami Beach period".
 In 1995 I took a staff position as second Assistant to Richard Avedon at Avedon Studio in New York City. My experience at Avedon Studio was a profound study of the life and creative spirit of the great photographer. It was also there that I met Alexa Davis, then an assistant stylist, after which we became great friends and allies in the industry.
 In 1996, after having left Avedon Studio, I continued my career with new insights and possibilities gleaned from observing the mind and sensibilities of Avedon. I purchased a Deardorf 8 X10 field camera and began to photograph with this format. Not intending to mimic Avedon's style, however, but instead to be a creative equal to all the masters of photography.
In 1997 and 98 I had the pleasure of completing a series of Landmark Education courses: "The Landmark Forum", "Curriculum For Living" and the "Introduction to the Forum Leaders Program" at Landmark Education, after which I began to build a new business based on my love of art, travel and people. The DWPNY Workshops began to take shape. I became a Head Coach in the Landmark Self Expression & Leadership Program (SELP). Landmark Education has classes & seminars around the world. If you have any questions about Landmark Education , please feel free to E-mail me, Otherwise just click on the links button at left to go to the Landmark website.
In 1999 after three years of being completely on my own in business and spending a good portion of time studying and developing myself using Landmark Technology, I decided that it was important for me to pursue my dream of traveling around the world. I was certain that I would be waiting a long time if I was to "wait" for the time & money (I had been "waiting" for the previous ten years!) and I did also want to pursue the possibility of having my own family so I decided to shut down my business for a year and buy the ticket. The plan being to travel for a year and then come back and put the nose-to-grindstone and work toward having a family of my own.
On December 14, 1999 I boarded a plane to begin my trip around the world with connections to Melbourne & Sydney Australia , Capetown South Africa, and London England before coming back home to New York. In Melbourne I met my old friend Laura Shirven who had moved from New York to Australia years before after having met her match in a young doctor named Ingmar. They were married on December 18, 1999 and I was pleased to photograph them on their wedding day.
After much marital, christmas, and new year celebrating, I somehow ended up living in Australia. (Wow) That was five years ago at the time of me writing this. And I've had lots of fun with horses and my Daughter Alexa, (Named after Alexa in NY.) Unfortunately I am now separated from my wife but thankfully I still have custody of my beautiful daughter Alexa and cannot express how much I enjoy being her father.
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