An alumni of Art Center College of Design, Derek was educated in the traditional techniques of graphic design and photography. After graduating from the Advertising program in 2005, he spent a decade in the agency world-working as an Art Director for a variety of Los Angeles-based advertising and marketing agencies. His print and digital work has been widely published-including national broadcast commercials, as well as 360-marketing campaigns for brands such as: Nestle, LA Galaxy, Knott's Berry Farm, ABC and Mazda. In 2015-pivoting from his experience in the advertising industry-Derek turned his attention to photography and video directing.