One day . . . back in the day . . . a kid grew tired of being chased from his own streets under threat of death. His crime you ask? Pushing a skateboard. Not to be denied, he took to the cover of night with the other undesirables of the world. He built a vert ramp in his own yard. And he learned to run faster. When not skating, he took to his bike, traveling far and wide to pursue his passion. Time went by. School came and went. And then the world dumped him out on his ass . . .

Sometime thereafter, photography possessed him. Dismissing the typical trajectory of a cookie-cutter life, he pursued his dream.. Realizing it is best to start somewhere, teeth were cut assisting under the blinding pops of studio lights . . . Photographing products, people and places . . . traveling for editorial and commercial assignments. For 10 years this would be the chosen path . . . But through it all, his draw to the streets remained . . .

Armed with a grip of traditional techniques and an in-depth knowledge of the business, Derik again took to the streets under cover of night. But this time, he was rockin his own lights. Experimentation led to discovery, paving the way to a uniquely personal style. Skaters got wrecked. Bikers crashed. And the very walls of the streets became a subject all their own.

He now wanders the world with camera in hand . . . finding himself . . . in the byways of the urban jungle. Fraternizing with humans, both ruputable and otherwise. Casting his light into the corners that are seldom seen and rarely captured . . .