After graduating with a business degree from Skidmore College in 1996, I headed straight for the mountains and became a professional photographer in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I figured this would be far more enjoyable than confining myself to an office or cubical, as so many of my classmates did. I was right! After my experience with Snow*Photo as a portrait and action photographer on the mountain, I decided that corporate America was out. I was going to run with my artistic side. With this in mind, I moved to San Diego, California in 1998. Glen E. Friedman’s collection of music photos in his book, Fuck You Heroes, inspired me to shoot what I love, live bands. Like Glen, I have a passion for the energy of live music and thrive on catching the perfect moment. I began covering shows for local publications such as No Cover, Revolt in Style, and Modern Fix. Soon I started capturing the energy of nightclubs. The majority of these photos were for Where@ Magazine. This progressed into photographing models, which initiated my use of studio lighting. I’m currently a staff photographer for the San Diego Reader and am Chief Photographer for Krown Magazine. You can view my work at www.derekplank.com
DEREK PLANK
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