Deanna Tilley has been photographing family members (including pets, of course) since the 1980s when she was a kid with a camera in the rural South. Her professional path led to a career in social work in New York City. Various experiences there, including collaborating with artists and documentarians, helped her to see how the camera can be a powerful tool for collecting stories to educate and engage others on a range of issues. And, when done well, photography can honor and uplift people and communities. These were some of the very reasons she entered the field of social work. So, to expand her skill set and increase her reach, she enrolled in photography courses and workshops.

Deanna's experience as a social worker, along with her natural ability to connect with others, enables her to create stories through photographs to humanize statistics. This can be especially beneficial to nonprofits working on an issue campaign or in need of updating website photographs for fundraising efforts. She is open to discussing your project ideas, and is interested in collaborating with nonprofits, local business owners and publications.