PEOPLE: Brad Willis shares a video and a Q&A on local photographer, Derek Emge

DEREK EMGE

Professional photographer, Crown City Magazine contributor and local resident

By Brad Willis Q&A Courtesy of Crown City Publishing (CCP) Photos Courtesy of Derek Emge Photography

His work has been featured on the covers and pages of this magazine and you may have seen him in the water at North Island or on the shore at Shipwrecks capturing the surf scene. We caught up with Derek Emge to ask a few questions and learn what makes him tick.

CCP: Hi Derek. Tell us a little about your photography.

I have two main focuses with my photography: surf photography and what they call fine art photography. The former comes from growing up in the water and then following my son through years of surf contests and surf trips. I’m lucky enough that I still get invited along on his trips even though he is now grown up! Along the way, I realized I had a number of high quality images from in and around the ocean that people wanted for their walls and I began to expand my focus to large format prints.

CCP: What type of subjects do you photograph for those prints?

Much of my photography has its roots in the ocean. The colors, texture and light are forever changing in fascinating ways which helps to create mood and emotion, making the ocean my favorite subject. One of my goals is to capture in each image the particular sensation or mood I personally felt at the time the photograph was taken. It might be the quiet sense of freedom of a pelican soaring over the waves or the raw power of a crashing wave in the early morning light. I suppose living in an ocean community helps with this connection.

CCP:Do you have a favorite color?

Actually I do and it’s BLUE! Some studies say that the human eye can perceive between 450 and 500 shades of blue. How crazy is that? Those of us lucky enough to live by the ocean can see multiple shades of blue on any given day and at any given moment. Something just attracts me to the color. The deeper the blue, the more serious and moody I feel. The lighter (think turquois) the more freedom and joy I feel. As a photographer, this color is the primary element in many of my images.

CCP: How long have you lived on Coronado?

My wife and I moved to Coronado after our second child left for college. We moved from the hectic scene of Mission Beach to the peace of the Island. We immediately fell in love with the people and the connection our city has to the ocean. There is nothing more grounding than simply walking on the beach every day!

CCP: How did you get started as a photographer?

I received my first camera at age 12 and immediately enjoyed trying to capture my surroundings. Of course, this was before the digital age or cell phones and a roll of film was either 24 or 36 frames and cost a couple bucks to develop. I learned pretty quickly to really focus on setting up a good image before clicking (laugh). This probably developed my eye more than any course work I ever took. I learned darkroom techniques in college and then slowly expanded my equipment over time to allow greater creativity with my imagery. Following college I went to law school and worked as a litigator for nearly three decades, but never put my camera down. I have always been a visual person and even in the courtroom connecting with a jury through visuals was the most powerful means of communication. I’m now retired from the practice of law and focused full time on photography.

CCP:If you could do anything with your photography what would you do? Dream big….

That’s a great question… I guess the most satisfying part of being a photographer is creating images that people connect with and which create an emotional reaction. So, I guess if I could do anything, it would be to put a cool image in every single house in the county. Wouldn’t that be something?

CCP: Where can people see your work other than this magazine?

Check out my photography at www.DerekEmgePhotography. com where one can pick sizes, types of medium (paper, metal, glass, wood, canvas) and even framing. It has a pretty cool feature that allows you to use your phone to see how each image will actually look on their actual wall. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to get fi rst shot at new releases, events and sales. I also have a large exhibit at Emerald City Surf Shop. This includes framed images, images printed on metal and images printed on acrylic (glass). The exhibit has a good mix of sizes and mediums and provides a good representation of the type of work I do. I hope your readers can check it out!

Please enjoy the video of this Coronado Story from Brad Willis on You Tube:

YouTube.com/watch?v=LlKzRbIqs8o

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