In Focus: Photographer Tony Powell
By • August 17, 2026 0 650
Washington’s photographer of presidents, philanthropists and the city’s biggest moments has learned to see life differently.
If you’ve attended a major Washington gala, a museum opening, a Kennedy Center celebration or a historic event in D.C. over the past two decades, chances are Tony Powell was already there — camera in hand, quietly documenting history.
His photographs have captured everyone from Supreme Court justices and presidents to artists, dancers, business leaders and philanthropists. He has photographed the opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, countless cultural galas, the National Portrait Gallery’s Portrait of a Nation Awards, the Washington Ballet, the Kennedy Center Honors and many of the city’s most celebrated annual events.
Most recently, Powell found himself with an assignment unlike any other.
Arriving at the Supreme Court this June expecting to photograph philanthropist David Rubenstein, Powell learned just minutes before the ceremony that he wasn’t covering a public event at all. He was photographing Rubenstein’s wedding.
“I thought I was there for another philanthropic announcement,” Powell recalls with a laugh. “Fifteen minutes beforehand, someone said, ‘You do realize this is their wedding?’”
Rubenstein wedding.
Fortunately, Powell travels with enough equipment for almost any possibility, stating: “You’d rather have more equipment than you need than less.”
The ceremony, officiated by Chief Justice John Roberts, continued with a celebration at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue before ending atop the Hay-Adams hotel overlooking the White House.
“It was one of the great honors of my career,” he says.
Powell’s work has become synonymous with Washington’s cultural life, yet his own story is every bit as compelling as the people he photographs.
A Life in the Arts
Photography was never his only artistic language. Born in Washington and raised in Chevy Chase, Powell’s life changed in elementary school after a Howard University outreach performance inspired teachers to encourage him to audition for the Broadway musical “Raisin.”
As a child, he toured Europe performing, while absorbing every aspect of theater production — from choreography and orchestration to lighting and costume design.
“It changed my life,” Powell says. “I realized that art could tell stories in so many different ways. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was learning everything.”
He later studied at Juilliard before launching Tony Powell/Music & Movement, creating original ballets, composing music and choreographing performances for companies including the Washington Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet and the Ailey School.
Photography remained constant throughout. “I never saw photography as simply documenting something,” he says. “It was another artistic tool — a paintbrush.”
Today, his assignments range from editorial portraits and fashion photography to documenting Washington’s most important business, civic and cultural events.
Reinvention
Powell readily shares another chapter of his life — one that ultimately shaped everything that followed. For nearly two decades, he battled alcoholism, a struggle that nearly cost him his family, his dance company and his career.
“I lost everything,” he says simply.
In 2009, after years of treatment and relapse, Powell experienced what he describes as a profound spiritual awakening: “I realized I never had to drink again.” Seventeen years later, he remains sober. That experience transformed more than his personal life.
“It taught me gratitude,” Powell says. “If I don’t have my sobriety, I don’t have my children. I don’t have my business. I don’t have any of this.”
His philosophy now is rooted in kindness, compassion and showing up prepared. “If I’m on time, I’m late,” he jokes. “I always want people to know I respect their time.”
Embracing Technology Without Losing the Craft
Powell has also embraced artificial intelligence — not as a replacement for photography, but as another creative tool.
For the Washington Ballet’s upcoming season campaign, he photographed dancers traditionally before using AI to create imaginative environments inspired by productions including “Romeo and Juliet,” “Dracula” and “The Art of War.”
“I shot everything traditionally,” he says. “AI simply allowed us to transport the dancers into worlds that would have been impossible to build physically.”
His enthusiasm for technology is balanced by a respect for craftsmanship.
“I tell young photographers to learn the rules before they break them,” he says. “Understand light. Understand composition. Learn photography first.”
Life Beyond the Ballroom
Although D.C. views Powell dressed in black, quietly moving through galas and museum openings, another side of him exists far from the city’s ballrooms.
He seeks out mountains, icy lakes and remote landscapes where cold-water plunges have become part of his daily discipline. Photographs of Powell immersed in frigid waters surrounded by floating icebergs reveal someone constantly challenging himself physically and mentally.
He also follows a vegan lifestyle and practices Buddhism, philosophies rooted in mindfulness, compassion and respect for life. Of course, there’s usually a sauna involved as well.
Washington’s Storyteller
After 20 years photographing Washington society, Powell still approaches every assignment with curiosity.
Among his favorite annual events are the Kennedy Center Honors, the Mark Twain Prize, the Hillwood gala, the National Museum of Women in the Arts gala, the Phillips Collection gala, the Opera Ball and countless Georgetown events that have become fixtures on his calendar.
His client list continues to grow, but Powell says success is no longer measured by celebrity access.
“It’s about telling the truth,” he says. “When you make a portrait, bring out who someone really is.” That philosophy extends well beyond photography.
“The universe gives me everything I need,” he reflects. “When you’re grateful, that gratitude spills over onto other people.”
Perhaps that’s why so many of Washington’s most influential people continue inviting Powell into life’s biggest moments. He isn’t simply documenting history. He’s learned how to see the people who make it.
Tony Powell: In Focus — featured in The Georgetowner, latest issue, August 12, 2026.
