While not quite yin and yang, the two personalities that define Dean Lavenson Photography make for a complete and balanced working photo studio. Combining Dean’s mad technical skills and insatiable enthusiasm for the process with Sara’s unflinching task mastery and creative (opinionated) eye, our clients continue to contact us with confidence knowing that we can execute any project, great or small.
Dean-o
At Dean Lavenson Photography, Dean brings an utter passion to the set. He is a master with light and an absolute perfectionist. He is as giddy about photography today as when he was a student. And with that passion comes with over 20 years of experience.
After graduating from Brooks Institute of Photography and freelancing in L.A. for a few years, Dean relocated his family from Santa Barbara, California to Louisville in 1989. He’s still trying to figure out how that happened. All he remembers is a big yellow Ryder truck with a matching yellow ’73 VW Bug in tow and his wife, Dianne, crying across every state line. Dean still dreams about the beach, but over the last 20 years he’s grown to love Louisville.
As for how Dean first got started with a camera? Now that’s a long story. Let’s just say, he was on his way to becoming the next Wynton Marsellis. Lucky for Mr. Marsellis, Dean ended up in Beginning Photography as a high school senior. Ask him in person and he’ll give you the looooong version.
Sara
It all started when Sara’s realization that she was not passing college chemistry coincided with being given a camera for Christmas (thanks Santa!). One roll of film later and the love affair began (that is no typo…we did mean film). Over the years, she’s nurtured that love affair by working in numerous photographic environments around the globe. She’s now happy to call Louisville home.
At Dean Lavenson Photography, there really isn’t a role or title for Sara, other than Jack-of-all-trades. She moves to where the need is, whether that is project organizer, prop stylists, art director, post producer, daily chef,.….the list goes on and on and on.