It’s very possible you have heard of photographer Dave Dicello, but it is equally possible you didn’t know he lives in Mt. Lebanon on Folkstone Drive.

While many consider January the “dead of winter,” Dicello’s work is coming to life. He doesn’t see snow, wind and ice as deterrents; rather, he sees them as a challenge, offering a new lens through which to capture his art.

He freezes moments in time — reflections in the river and sunrises over the city of Pittsburgh — often before most people begin their day.

“In the winter, I don’t like to stop. Photography is just like working out. It’s like a muscle. I don’t want to get rusty. I go out every day,” Dicello said.

His alarm goes off every day at 4:07 a.m.

“I couldn’t go out early in the morning if Dana (my wife) wasn’t there with the kids,” Dicello said. “That’s never lost on me. I can only do what I do because of them.”

Dicello’s dedication to closely monitoring the weather is paying off. His recent image of a train passing under the Duquesne Incline, with the backdrop blanketed in white, is gaining traction, having garnered more than 18,000 likes on Instagram.

“I’ve waited a decade for that picture,” Dicello said.

Dicello oozes passion for all things Pittsburgh. Born and raised in Bethel Park, he said his father sparked his interest in photography by taking him to Penn State football games as a child, where he would photograph the atmosphere.

Speaking of atmosphere, living in a place with a small-town feel was a longtime dream for Dicello. Mt. Lebanon provided just that for him and his wife, Dana. The couple moved to Mt. Lebanon in 2012, where Dicello revels in the community’s walkability and small-town feel along Beverly and Washington roads.

He works full time as a financial analyst for Thermo Fisher Scientific and, in recent years, has become more involved in coaching his children’s soccer teams. He beams with pride when talking about his son, Declan, 11, and daughter, Delaney, 7, noting that his own father coached him in baseball until he was about 16 years old.

When he’s not coaching, he’s capturing.

His images of Pittsburgh cityscapes, lightning strikes, sunrises and fireworks have garnered significant attention, including more than 170,000 Facebook followers and 153,000 on Instagram. Still, he is equally passionate about photographing Mt. Lebanon.

He can often be found perched atop the Washington Road parking garage, camera in hand, offering a sweeping view of nearby businesses — including his favorite spot, The Saloon.

“Keith, the owner, bought a 6-foot print, and it’s hanging in the corner of The Saloon,” Dicello said. “Every time I go in there, it drives my kids crazy because I’m like, ‘We’ve got to go over and see the picture.’ I just love that.”

While he appreciates people buying his work, Dicello said it’s the stories he hears about people enjoying his images — and the sense of nostalgia they evoke — that matter most to him.

“That means more to me than anything else,” Dicello said. “That always resonates with me and never gets old.”

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Dicello could be found hand-delivering his 2026 Anniversary Pittsburgh Calendar to friends and neighbors who purchased it online.

“They’re not just going to Mt. Lebanon. They’re going to Germany and California, Alaska and everywhere,” Dicello said. “But to be able to drop them off to my neighbors, whether they know who I am or not, is definitely cool.”

The calendar features some of his favorite images from the past 13 years. He sold 3,000 calendars this year alone — an exponential increase from years past.

Looking ahead, Dicello said one bucket-list photo shoot would involve a helicopter ride over Mt. Lebanon to capture aerial views of its neighborhoods.

“I would love to go over Washington Road, Main Entrance, Cedarhurst, Virginia Manor,” Dicello said. “Just capture those, because the neighborhoods are what really make Pittsburgh and Mt. Lebanon so special to me.”