Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek French.
Hi Derek, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Imagine you’re sitting in front of a television, watching 24/7 coverage of a global health crisis that appears to be on every channel you click through. The coverage consists of three things: breaking news on new outbreaks, how to ensure your own health through PPE and proper cleaning methods, and a counter on the newly established infected/death toll. The sad thing is that this was no spark of imagination but life for most if not all of us. The sparks of hope we would have were from the small stories on the healthcare worker’s struggle to battle the COVID-19 pandemic with little to no effective resources.
Sitting indoors with the scarcity of these stories did little to alleviate my anxiety of surviving the initial wave. After purchasing a camera with the President’s first wave of COVID-19 Stimulus checks, I wanted to go out and document the work of these healthcare workers. At the same time, New York held 7pm healthcare celebrations where people would gather in the streets to applaud them. If not outside, people would bang utensils against pots and pans to let healthcare workers that their work did not go unnoticed. My photojournalism career would start here, traveling to different hospitals around Brooklyn that held these celebrations.
After one celebration in late May, I wanted to learn more about my camera and headed towards the Brooklyn waterfront from the Brooklyn Center Hospital when I ran into a giant protest. This protest would be one of many in the modern civil rights movement on the death of George Floyd. From there, I would mask and glove-up to document the Black Lives Matter movement in New York, and journey across the northeast & west coast to document domestic/ international social issues.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road but that is the essence of life & progress. The biggest struggle was establishing myself amongst the most amazing community of photographers that have years of education, skills and experience on me. The realization that my work is what I enjoy the most, being out there to capture life in a single, still frame is what helped me accept that my work will prove itself in time, and will have an impact to someone somewhere. Vincent van Gogh’s work wasn’t appreciated until generations later, solidifying the idea that amazing things take time to work out.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a photojournalist specializing in domestic/international social issues and breaking news. I’d say I know for my use of bokeh and candid photos. I’m most proud of how far I’ve come in the photography industry and how much I have been able to learn from others.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
You have a week of amazing opportunities presented to you and success that would have you dancing in your room at 2am. The next week could be filled of missed opportunities and disappointment where you play that one sad song on repeat. There will be highs and there will be lows, days of joy and sadness. The ultimate thing to remember is never let either affect you significantly to the point of a clouded perspective. If you’re at a high, pat yourself on the back but know there is always more to be done. When you hit the lows, pick yourself up by learning a new way to use your trade for the better.
Contact Info:
- Website: derekcfrench.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derek_c_french/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekcfrench
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/derekcfrench
Image Credits
Derek French
