Dylan Overhouse

The artistry of thinking big

If you have been in the remodeled La Crosse Center lobby, you’ve seen the beautiful windows, the modern, open concept architecture, and the massive aerial photo gracefully dominating the dramatic space. The photographic capture of La Crosse’s segment of the Mississippi is beautiful and stunning; you can thank photographer Dylan Overhouse for the artistic cherry-on-top. 

Dylan is the owner of Dylan Overhouse Productions, a commercial photography and video production company based right here in La Crosse. The production company has a creative reach far beyond the Driftless Region and has been humming along creatively since 2015. However, Dylan created quite a buzz for his company recently when he confronted his barely-short-of-debilitating fear of heights to rent a helicopter tour at Riverfest 2019 to take aerial photos. He had the idea for a while—the weather was perfect; he gave it a go. Dylan made the deliberative effort to trust the professional pilots in much the same thoughtful way he expects trust in his artistic vision. He managed to take impressive photos amid an adrenaline rush. As you’ve correctly deduced, one of them is on display in the La Crosse Center and is the focal point of a mural on campus.

“Take risks, do what makes you happy, and trust the process,” says Dylan. The authenticity of his life philosophy rings true whenever Dylan is talking about art in its many forms. Whether it’s music, photography, cooking, writing, storytelling, and movie making, his passion for creating and documenting is his driving force. Displaying beauty, both natural and human-made, through his bold approach elevates his purpose and presence in the world. Dylan appreciates and is inspired by the natural beauty of Western Wisconsin in all its unglaciated glory—often the star of his photography. His awe of natural beauty is captured and shared in incredible detail with visual drama, light, and shadow. 

Dylan is a 2016 graduate of Western Technical College; his program of choice: Visual Communications, now known as Digital Media Production. He chose Western because he knew he would get a solid education but, at the same time, wasn’t sure about his path. Western is a great place to explore, try things, and find what interests you. An immensely insightful advisor helped him realize what he enjoyed, what he was talented at, what he wanted to do: unique and innovative storytelling. Dylan focused and worked hard to turn those discoveries into a fulfilling career. Within six months he had work in his field. And now, he’s able to focus completely on his production business, which he is currently expanding. 

Western’s hands-on philosophy of learning helped Dylan put it all together—the technical skills behind the camera and recording equipment, and how to use them to bring his creative vision to life. It’s a necessary marriage of two opposite skill sets that complement and elevate the process, fully illustrating that the sum is often greater than the parts. He credits Western for teaching him the soft skills that smoothed his transition into the real-world industry. An important part of his education was making valuable connections throughout his time here that led to job opportunities and collaborators. He plans to work on professional film sets and continue to make a living doing what he loves: creative storytelling through film and photography.  

Dylan finds inspiration all around him—from music and nature to movies and food to family and friends. A true appreciator of the natural world, his penchant for detail and ubiquitous inspiration is his secret sauce. Growing up, Dylan‘s family moved often. He’s attended different schools while residing in small towns and large cities alike; he effortlessly makes social and cultural adjustments to appreciate people in all their beautiful uniqueness. He’s constantly pushing himself to do, innovate, and learn more with an open mind and a discerning eye. Art is never just for art’s sake; art makes lives and communities better: shared beauty with great purpose. Dylan is making art while promoting and celebrating the art of others—wonderful and necessary gifts to our community.

Dylan’s cover photo is by Mike Sutor