About Alan Dean
Photography

Born and raised in Montreal, Alan Dean moved to Vancouver in the 1980s, where he studied photography at Langara College’s Focal Point professional photography program. In 1990 he moved to Ottawa and quickly established himself as the city’s premier fashion photographer, shooting for modeling and acting agencies in Ottawa and Montreal.

In 1992, he was hired as the principal photographer for a Montreal casting agency and throughout the next 7 years he commuted to
 Montreal weekly to shoot actors’ headshots for thousands of professional and aspiring actors of all ages. “This is really where I learned
 to shoot,” he confesses. “With so many different faces to photograph, I began to seriously study the face and try to find the best possible perspective for each person.” But the true key to getting a great portrait, he quickly learned, was “establishing a relationship with the subject and getting them to react to me instead of to my camera. People are intimidated by being photographed, so I realized that if I have a warm approach as a person and don’t ‘play photographer’, my clients are more inclined to open up and reveal their true personality.” This proved to be a winning formula that he uses to this day. 

By the late 1990s, Alan Dean Photography had expanded from shooting editorial fashion and actors’ headshots, into the realms of children’s and family portraits, business portraits, and commercial photography. His clients are diverse and his portraits are in high demand. He continues to be well-known in the acting community, and has provided headshots and/or show photos for companies and schools including Orpheus Musical Theatre Society, Kanata Theatre, Tara Players, Suzart, GOYA, Ottawa School of Speech and Drama, Orleans Young Players, Ottawa Little Theatre, and many others. He also enjoys shooting for many music and dance schools, including Elite, Denise Smith, Pointe of Grace, Music for Young Children, Ottawa Conservatory, Nepean School of Music, and others.

In 2004, Alan Dean began to focus on the business community, offering high-quality business portraits to realtors, mortgage brokers,
 lawyers, doctors, accountants, executives, government officials, small business owners and other business professionals. His attention to detail and unique approach lead to successful business portraits that are a popular choice for Ottawa’s business community.

Aside from photography, Alan has many artistic interests. He and his partner, Andrea Cochrane, have co-written over a dozen plays for children and youth, which have been performed by her students at Orleans Young Players and Ottawa Little Theatre’s Summer Workshops. They have also penned two original musicals,  Sweet Nothin’ and The Goddess, which have been performed several times in the Ottawa area, including at the 2007 Ottawa Fringe Festival.  Their third musical is currently in the works.  He plays and writes music on his guitar. “Music is my first love,” he says.

Alan has directed and produced entertainment events, most notably evenings of dinner and music at the Ottawa Bagelshop. He currently sits on the board of John P. Kelly’s SevenThirty Productions, whose A Night in November, with Pierre Brault, was a smash hit in early 2007 and won two Capital Critics’ Circle Awards.

Alan devotes much of his time to his daughter Cailin, who is a competitive figure skater and is ambitious as her dad – Her dream is to one day compete in the Olympics.

 

THE STUDIO

Alan Dean’s studio is located at 7B Hamilton Ave. N., near the Parkdale Market. In the heart of West Wellington’s exploding arts community, the studio is next door to the popular Cube Gallery, and a block away from the new Great Canadian Theatre Company. The 1800 square foot facility also houses The Studio hair salon, with lead stylist Jenny May Quinn. Make-up is available by long-time make-up artist Susan Kealey. Ask ahead about make-up or hair availability if you’d like to combine a salon service with your photo shoot.

 

CLIENTS

A sampling of Alan Dean Photography’s clients have included:

 

Royal Lepage
 TD Canada Trust
 Remax
 Keller Williams
 Minto Realty
 Century 21
 Coldwell Banker
 Sutton Group
 Mortgagebrokers.com
 Investors Group
 Corrections Canada
 Dept. of Foreign Affairs
 Rideau Centre
 Hazeldean Mall
 KPMG
 Dinmar
 EMS Technologies
 Sun Microsystems
 Dell Computers
 CARMS
 Gorilla Chiropractic
 Hampton Family Chiropractic
 Ottawa Integrative Health Centre
 Distinctively Fine Furnishings
 Alteriors
 Westboro Academy
 Ottawa Catholic School Board
 Music for Young Children         
 Nepean School of Music
 Ottawa Conservatory
 National Capital SCAN
 CityHealth Magazine
 Ottawa Life Magazine
 Modern Woman
 Congregation Beth Shalom
 Auger Hollinsworth
 Low Murchison
 Sack Goldblatt Mitchell
 Alder Group
 Andrews Robichaud
 Strata
 Canadian Musical Odyssey
 Orpheus Musical Theatre Society
 Yoriko Tanno-Kimmons Studio
 Bytown Operaworks
 Distortion Studio
 O-Towne Records
 Pebble Recording Studio
 Fat Dog Records
 Hummingbird Music
 Ottawa School of Speech & Drama
 AKA Talent Management
 Claire Boivin Agency
 Mensour Agency
 Agence Louise Bergeron
 Focus International
 Total Casting
 Take One Talent
 Models International Management
 Ben Barry Agency
 Barrett Palmer
 Access Agency
 Zoom Models
 North American Talent Tours
 Elite Dance Studio
 Denise Smith School of Dance
 Pointe of Grace
 West Carleton School of Performing Arts
 Focus Forward Dance Workshop
 Driven Dance Company
 Suzart Productions
 SevenThirty Productions
 GOYA Theatre Company
 Orleans Young Players
 Ottawa Little Theatre
 Grimes Road Theatre
 Nepean Creative Arts Centre
 Concordia University Theatre
 McGill University Players Theatre
 University of Ottawa Theatre Department
 Tara Players
 New Ottawa Repertory Theatre
 Garkin Productions
 Black Sheep Theatre
 Kanata Theatre
 Versailles Academy of Make-up and Esthetics
 Peak Sportswear
 SixO Activewear
 Minto Skating Club
 Nepean Skating Club
 Gloucester Skating Club
 Rideau Skating Club
 North Bay Skating Club
 March Kanata Skating Club
 Club de Patinage Artistique Asticou
 SportEtude
 Douvris Martial Arts
 Pro-Style Martial Arts
 Tsunami Martial Arts
 Ottawa Solar Power
 Juniper Restaurant & Wine Bar
 Local Heroes
 Ottawa Bagelshop
 Mattress Mart
 Men Essentials
 The Studio Salon
 Philippe Athlan, Coiffeur de Paris
 Lemar Salon
 ADD Electronics
 Cube Gallery
 Homestage
 Stage Rite
 Majestic Jewelry