In

Erin Derby

Reimagining Nature through the lens.

Familiar and unexpected yet concrete and ethereal with clarity and yet an enigmatical quality, Derby meticulously works with lighting and composition to create that hypnotic mandala-like floral arrangement.

Erin Derby (b.1975. San Jose, CA) graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a BA in both Film and Latin American & Iberian Studies. Her early career was primarily photojournalism. Over time Derby evolved a fine art cynosure balanced with commercial photography success. In the latter, Derby continues to do portraiture, interiors and still-life.
Her early fine art work explored expired 4x5 polaroid and 35mm film, with its painterly quality. The imperfections of these aged mediums and their eroded hues communicated an ethereal quality to her botanical images. In her recent work, Reimagining Nature, she has once again returned to botanicals. An award winning photographer, Derby lives in Brooklyn, NY .

The Brand

Erin has spent her entire adult life in the pursuit of making beautiful and impactful images.  Openness, communication, and experienced execution are the hallmark of her brand.  She always strives to bring her best self to each project, because joy can be found in all areas of life if we help to contribute to it.  Erin’s recent fine art work has won multiple awards, including 2020 Prix de la Photographie Paris (Px3) – Bronze Winner, and 2020 AI-AP – Selected Winner, American Photography 36.  Her commercial work is widely published in noted magazines such as Architectural Digest,  Epoca Magazine, House Beautiful as well as photographic commissions for some of America’s most famous including Donna Karan, Herman Miller, Gensler, Duralee, John Robshaw and Michael Aram.

erin derby photography
Erin Derby florals with dew

Philosophy

In Reimagining Nature Derby is attempting to discover or uncover something new each time she sets out to create a collage. At times working with the simplest of botanical material, and at times trying to fill the frame with abandon, but always surprising herself with what happens when it comes together. It isn’t all chance, since she makes very specific and learned choices of light, depth of field, color, texture, and layout. But since nature creates only unique specimens, with no two exactly alike, the flora are also bringing something to the proverbial table. They have a contribution to make to the final arrangement. Nothing is digitally manipulated to alter the botanic itself. Each image is a play between the real and surreal, line and curve, observation of nature and form. A subject matter that although photographed time and time again, continues to present something new to the artist.

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