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A native of coastal Southern California, Derek has never been far from the ocean. Scenes from Jacques Cousteau and the James Bond film "For Your Eyes Only" were his first inspiration to scuba dive. After years of waiting, Derek learned to dive in the summer of '85 at the Catalina Island Marine Institute. Since then he has traveled around the world, diving in places like Grand Cayman, the Maldives, Egypt, the Solomon Islands, and Southern California.
After more than twenty years of diving, Derek realized the unique opportunity that divers have; most people never get the chance to go underwater and see how things really look in the ocean. The average Joe isn't much concerned about how we affect the coastal marine environment - for most, the ocean is out of sight and out of mind.
Derek's goal as an underwater photographer is to present the beauty of marine life as fine art. He hopes to inspire public appreciation for the world beneath the sea, bringing the ocean to sight and mind.
All photographs feature marine life in their natural underwater habitat.
Derek is an active member of the San Diego Underwater Photographic Society, and has won several awards for his photographs. He goes on dive trips around the world in search of new images, and enjoys sharing his experiences as an underwater photographer.