Dennis Feldman studied photography at Harvard College where he was introduced to the work of Walker Evans, Robert Frank, and Fredrick Sommer. All of who were to become his mentors. He attended the Yale School of Art and Architecture, where Walker Evans was one of his professors. 

In 1974 and 75, he traveled for eleven months to 49 of the 50 United States to photograph for the book AMERICAN IMAGES. AMERICAN IMAGES was chosen one of the ten best photo books of 1977 by the New York Times. 

Dennis Feldman has taught Photography and the History of Photography at Boston University, San Francisco City College, and UCLA. He has lectured in the Language of Photography at Harvard and Deer Island Penitentiary.

He is also a screenwriter and producer of a number of successful Hollywood films.

His work is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.