He studied classical music, and also photography – requisitioned the family bathroom to serve as darkroom. Already in his teens he was winning awards and exhibiting works, while simultaneously continuing his education and giving concerts. With university studies completed, he further pursued his professional career in the arts.

After arriving in Canada from Europe, he expanded his professional interests to include multimedia and graphic design. He has also published books on web design.
But music and photography still remain his strongest passion. He works as a photographer and graphic designer. And, he keeps photographing…and then, photographing…and photographing…

Along with his long-time partners Margaret  (art historian, writer), Lex (photo panoramas expert), and Anna (creative editor) he runs Ozone Zone Books publishing company. One of their recent books won Benjamin Franklin Book Excellence Award 2010 in New York, and another won Silver at prestigious Nautilus Book Awards 2011 and some others. Also one of Derek's photos won a prestigious IGPOTY 2010 (landscape/garden photo competition) award in UK  (KEW Gardens, Royal Gardens). Another image was selected for Budapest International Photo Exhibition 2011, and yet another one won Honorary Award at Canadian Annual Photography Contest 2011.

They specialize in fine, top-end coffee table books. Company also offers flexible services – from art photography (including location photography in remote places), to designing, writing, publishing and printing brochures, calendars, booklets, books and other materials - all with usage of photographs created by Derek and Lex.

Derek - an award-winning photographer - also offers independently his photography services both for local customers in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada – and for customers requiring fine photography taken in various locations around the world. He delivered many fine images to most prestigious clients, as well as the luxury real estate agencies such as Sotheby's International Realty (in UK and Canada). He is a rare cross-breed between commercial, documentary, and art photographers.
He specializes in photographing boutique hotels, fine B&B, small resorts and fine real estate for their publicity/advertising needs.

Having  vast experience in architecture photography, landscape, nature, various styles of portraits, art, travel and editorial photography – he photographs exclusive residences and mansions for advertising, display or archival purposes, does fine art portraits  for portfolios - artistic images to treasure for years to come. For more information or quotes, please contact our office or Derek directly (see Contact page).
To see the full offer of Ozone Zone, including wider services combining fine photography with production of books, brochures, publishing, etc..  please see custom work section of Ozone Zone Books site.  Derek's PHOTO BLOG is here.
INTERVIEW BY DEREK FOR A PHOTO BLOG

On top of  Ozone Zone Books' publications, Derek's fine photographs have been used by many premier magazines and newspapers, including:
Debbie Travis - Caribbean Charm, April 18 2010
Luxury Home Quarterly – Summer 2010 (main feature - 26 pages)
Building Savvy magazine vol.2 2010
ZING magazine (in-flight Liat airlines) vol.8 Summer 2010
Good Life Connoisseur magazine (Heat Wave feature) Summer 2010
Trellis – Toronto Botanical Garden mag. Winter 2011, vol.38, nr 1
ZING magazine (in-flight Liat airlines) vol.10 Jan-March 2011, 
Real Life magazine, March 2011 (in two separate features), Real Life magazine, August 2011
Luxury Home Quarterly – Spring 2011
Victoria Boulevard Magazine - autumn 2011
ZING magazine (in-flight Liat airlines) Jan. 2012
MACO Caribbean Living - Jan. 2012 (large feature + cover)
Canadian Camera - winter 2011
and many others...

Some of RECENT CLIENTS include:
- Cap Maison Luxury Villa Resort  - (St Lucia) #1 "Most Excellent Small Resort Award, Pacific, Atlantic and Caribbean" by Condé Nast
- Lane Pettigrew Architects (LPA Inc, Florida USA, St Lucia, Dominican Republic, Honduras) - multi-awarded Caribbean architectural firm
- Jalousie Plantation - Sugar Beach Estate Resort (St Lucia) - multi-awarded luxury villa resort
- Mount Hartman Bay Estate (Grenada) - renowned boutique hotel/luxury villa
- Fort Young Hotel (Dominica) - Dominica's premier hotel
- Prickly Bay Waterside - luxury condos (Grenada) - award-winning modern condo project
- Fond Doux Holiday Plantation (St. Lucia)
- Sotheby's International Realty (UK) - luxury real estate agency
- Real Life magazine (Cayman Islands)
- Secret Bay boutique resort (Dominica) luxury eco lodging
- Villa Marco Polo (Victoria, BC Canada) - Condé Nast award-winning luxury B&B
- Sotheby's International Realty, BC, Canada - luxury real estate agency
- Pemberton Holmes real estate, Canada
- Sutton Group real estate, Canada
As for 2011, I am a member of RPS (Royal Photographic Society, UK),   Canadian Art Photographers Association (CAPA),
GMG (Garden Media Guild), and PGP (Professional Garden Photographers) - associations in UK.