about sam

Sam Dean proudly hails from Lubbock, Texas. After a childhood spent trotting the globe, a love for rock climbing and skiing lead him to the University of Montana where he received a degree in journalism in 1999. He has been a staff photographer at the Roanoke Times since 2000 and has covered many compelling stories, including Elian Gonzalez, conflict in Afghanistan, and most recently the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech.

He lives in Vinton, Virginia, with his wife Niki, their new son Colter, a white german shepherd and two cats.

While a staff photographer at The Roanoke Times, Sam's work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, The Miami Herald, People Magazine, Time Magazine, and many other publications. This year he was a finalist for the Scripps Howard Foundation National Journalism Award. His work has also been recognized with awards from Pictures of the Year International, the Best of Photojournalism, the National Press Photographers Association, the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar, the Southern and Northern Short Courses in Photojournalism, the Wedding Photojournalists Association, the Virginia Press Association and the Virginia News Photographers Association. He is a member of the National Press Photographers Association and the Wedding Photojournalist Association.

From Virginia Tech football to war in Afghanistan, his diverse experience provides a perspective that will capture the essence of any story, be it editorial, commercial, or wedding.