Bio
Dan Dry is the Managing Director of the Creative Content Studio at PriceWeber, where he leads with a visionary lens honed by decades at the pinnacle of creative storytelling. With a career spanning more than 50 years, Dan has amassed over 500 national and international awards across photography, advertising, and design — a testament to his enduring excellence and influence in the visual arts. He is one of America’s most celebrated photographers, earning distinctions such as NPPA Newspaper Photographer of the Year, induction into the Communications Hall of Fame at Ohio University (his alma mater), and membership in the Landmarks Hall of Fame by the Public Relations Society of America’s Bluegrass Chapter.
A fixture at one of the world’s most iconic sporting events, Dan has been an integral member of the Churchill Downs Official Kentucky Derby Photo Team for over three decades, capturing the race 47 times with unparalleled artistry. He is the exclusive photographer behind 25 coffee table books — including six cookbooks — and has been the creative force behind every cover of Food & Dining Magazine since its inception more than 22 years ago.
Before his leadership at PriceWeber, Dan served as Chief Visual Officer and Senior Vice President at Power Creative. He was also a valued member of the University of Chicago’s creative team from 2002 to 2010. Early in his career, he earned acclaim as part of the Courier-Journal photography team in Louisville. His professional journey began with two prestigious internships at the National Geographic Society — the first at the remarkable age of 19 — leading to an eight-year tenure as a contract photographer traveling the globe on assignment.
As the founder and principal of Dan Dry & Associates for over two decades, Dan has worked across all facets of corporate and commercial photography, producing powerful imagery for Fortune 500 companies and leading creative agencies.
Beyond the camera, Dan is a dedicated educator, mentor, and speaker, having lectured at numerous universities and judged hundreds of professional, student, and amateur competitions nationwide. His influence on future generations of creatives is as profound as his legacy behind the lens.
Deeply engaged in community service, Dan serves on several nonprofit boards including Apron Inc. and the Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky, where he is a past president. He is also an active member of the Vestry at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. A longtime leader within the American Advertising Federation – Louisville, Dan is a past chairman and president and continues to serve on its board.
Through PriceWeber, he donates large-format, signed canvas prints of his photography to local charities each year — contributions that have raised tens of thousands of dollars annually in support of vital causes.
In a landmark philanthropic gesture, Dan, his wife Margaret, and their two daughters have gifted his expansive, award-winning photographic archive — a body of work that includes iconic images of the Kentucky Derby and Muhammad Ali — to Ohio University. Appraised at $4.1 million, the collection spans more than half a century and cements Dan’s legacy as a cultural documentarian of rare vision and impact.