My Favorite Pittsburgh Thing To Do With Kids: Photographer Dave DiCello

Dave DiCello has more followers than just about any Pittsburgher on social media due to his stunning photos of Pittsburgh. He’s known to get up before dawn to take fabulous sunrise shots or brave a thunderstorm to get lightning slicing the sky.

All those fans might be surprised to learn that Dave maintains another full-time career as a financial analyst.

“Besides being a photographer, I hold down a 9-to-5 day job in corporate America,” he says. “It’s not the most glamorous of jobs, but it pays the bills!”

Dave and his wife Dana, a database manager, live with their two kids – Declan, 4, and Delaney, 2 months – in Mt. Lebanon.

The busy couple makes the most of their free time at a favorite destination.

“We love to take the kids to the zoo,” Dave says. “It’s like we have little animals ourselves, as our son especially drags us from one animal to the next!  He especially loves the penguins and the polar bears, but he’s also fond of the Komodo dragon.

“The newly renovated part of the zoo with new exhibits and food options make it a nice place to catch our breath a bit as well. And our son absolutely loves the kids play area at the end.”

Creating memories is part of the fun for Dave and Dana.

“There’s nothing that makes us happier as parents than seeing our kids have fun,” he says. “Be it the zoo, a park, the fountain at the Point, or a Pens game, having those special family moments together are memories that we wouldn’t trade for anything.  And hearing our son relive the experience (“Remember that time the lion roared at me at the zoo?”) is as much fun as the actual experience!”