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Dean Brown
I’ve been taking pictures since I was ten years old. My passion for photography began in the photographic chemical-scented plant of the large commercial photofinishing business where my dad worked as night shift supervisor. They processed an average of 10,000 rolls of film every night! Surrounded by Kodak posters on the walls, I was captivated by the whole process, photography and photo printing. My first camera was a Kodak 35mm film camera, which I took to Disney World in 1972, the first full year the park was open. I still keep it on my desk. Having my photos developed for free at my dad’s workplace made it pretty inexpensive for me to learn the art of photography.
I grew up in Chattanooga and moved to Knoxville to attend the University of Tennessee in 1980. Throughout college, I worked in the Art Department’s darkroom facility, at a local camera store, and at JCPenney’s camera department. In 1982, I worked at one of the very first one-hour photo labs, located at the World’s Fair here in Knoxville. I graduated with honors in 1985 with a BS in Accounting, but I knew by my first day at Price Waterhouse CPA that I’d chosen the wrong career—I’m simply too much of a people person to spend my days studying financial statements.
After a few years in accounting and financial services, including a stint as a stockbroker at Dean Witter Reynolds in 1987, a friend asked me to help incorporate his new business. That request inspired me to write a book teaching people how to incorporate their own companies—something virtually unheard of back then. I started a small publishing company from my dining room and self-published the books. My first order from Barnes & Noble was for 300 copies, which I printed at Kinko’s and hand-bound on my kitchen table. Though my books are no longer in print, they still occasionally appear as used copies on Amazon under my name, W. Dean Brown.
With the book business sustaining us, I launched my dream venture in 2002, a photography studio operating from my home, shooting portraits for family and friends. That venture took an unexpected turn when one of my first clients—starting a cabin rental business—asked me to photograph his cabins. I’d never even been inside a rental cabin, but I quickly found myself photographing hundreds of them as developers built new cabins throughout Sevier County at a rapid pace. He recognized that better photography was essential to his success. His company grew from managing about 30 cabins to over 400 within a few years, eventually selling to Wyndham Vacations for $30,000,000. I sold my publishing business in 2005 and have devoted myself entirely to photography since then.
Over the last 20-plus years, as of 2026 I’ve photographed approximately 9,000 properties and other varied assignments, including rental cabins, condos, restaurants, luxury homes, and hotels from here to Florida. I’ve also worked with CityView Magazine and Knoxville Magazine.
I’m easy-going and easy to work with, and I really enjoy what I do. I love hearing and sharing good stories and a good laugh. They say that behind every successful man, there’s a surprised mother-in-law. (wink) But in my case, there’s also a great, loving, and supportive spouse. My wife Cherie runs our business, handling much of the communications, scheduling and billing, and (yuck) the taxes and bookkeeping. When I say “we” I mean Cherie and me. We were high school sweethearts and have been inseparable since 1979. We have three great kids and eight wonderful grandkids, and have lived in Farragut TN since 1995.