Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Derek Emge. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Derek , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
As an ocean and surf photographer for the past few decades, I have had many adventures and interesting assignments. Recently, I was asked to donate my time to photograph a very unique surf event and what a morning it turned out to be. About 25 teenage Israelis had been flown into town to help them recover from the horrors of October 7. They were from the region of Shaar HNegev in Southern Israel near the border with Gaza. On the 7th, their villages were overrun by Hamas militants. These kids witnessed family members and friends murdered, raped and kidnapped. Their homes were destroyed and they no longer had schools they could attend. To continue their schooling and regain some sense of safety, they were flown to the US for a short period of time and, more specifically, they were brought to the beach for surf lessons with a group of American volunteers. I was there to photograph the experience. Over a three hour period, and amazing transformation took place. These kids were able to put aside their recent trauma, at least for a moment, and dive into their surf lessons. As the morning continued, smiles began to emerge; high fives were exchanged; and the kids began to hoot and holler in support of one another’s efforts to get to their feet and surf. The morning concluded with a traditional paddle out in memory of all who lost their lives on October 7 and for those still in captivity. It turned out to be an amazing opportunity for me behind the lens!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a professional photographer with two distinct pursuits: wall art and surf photography. The latter pursuit arose out of providing photographic images for my son’s surf sponsors when he was younger. The former pursuit came about by chance. I was having an image framed for our house and the frame shop/gallery owner asked if I would show some (non-surfing) images in an upcoming show. Well, the show was a huge success and I learned that people appreciated my view of coastal living. My view is a result of a process of awareness that I explain as follows: The human eye sees thousands of individual images every second and our brain processes these into a nonstop reel. In this process, we attach feelings and emotions such as “that’s beautiful” or “wow.” Yet, because we see so many images in a nonstop splash, it is sometimes hard to discern exactly what created the response. My approach is to slow everything down when I have an emotional response and really dig into what it was that caused it. Once that is identified, I try to recapture it in a single image. It might be color; it might be a detail; it might be a pattern. My best and most relatable images transport the viewer to the identical emotional response I had when I first viewed the subject matter.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I have made it a goal to connect as many people as possible to the beauty of the world around them, especially the coastal environment. We live in a world awash in social media images and we are now all trained to “like” or ignore an image instantaneously. I actually have no qualms with this new reality as I believe beauty is ascertained in the blink of an eye and does not take hours of studying a piece hung in a museum to determine if one connects to it. My dream would be for everybody to be able to hang at least one image that they “liked” on social media as a permanent addition to their home.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Social media is an integral part of my photography business. One can take the most amazing photograph that connects instantly with people who see it. Yet, if it is simply on your own computer nobody will be able to see, much less connect, to it. Instagram now bridges the gap between artist and audience in ways that were unimaginable just a decade ago. I have built a loyal following slowly and organically through visual story telling of my journey to see the world around me. I have connected with people from around the country and the world, sharing my work and learning from my viewers. There really is no secret shortcut here. I don’t advertise, buy audiences, or join click sharing groups. I simply share images that people connect with, one follower at a time and always respond to comments these followers make. It’s not a drive to reach a certain number of followers, rather its a drive to make real connections with people who appreciate and see the world around them in a similar way as I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.DerekEmgePhotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derekemgephotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DerekEmgePhotography