Derek, 2017
My work has been described as “intimate,” “honest,” and “relatable.”
My approach to photography is not to tell people what to do or how to do it. Instead, I work to create environments where people feel like their most authentic selves - and then capture what happens.
I prefer not to use the word ‘subject’ when referencing someone who is being photographed. A great conversation requires two people, talking and listening. I think a great photograph requires the same.
Before I ever touched a camera, music was my first love; the drums, to be exact. After years of playing in bands and touring the country, I’d learned a lot and met many wonderful people, but still struggled to express myself fully through my drum sticks. When I made my first photograph though, I knew I had found my voice.
Although I went to school to study photography, life has been my best teacher. When making photographs, I try to capture moments that resonate with my heart. Usually, these moments are simple and right in front of me.
If I’m not behind the lens of a camera, I’m happiest in nature: waking up with the sun, cooking over a campfire, and leaving technology behind are my favorite ways to re-center myself.
