CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

“Derek is a gifted photographer and a pleasure to work with. The images he captured at our retreat were truly a gift to all the participants. I look forward to working with Derek again.”

- Eric Plantenberg - Founder, The Abundant Living Retreat

“Derek is the man. Great artist and captures the true essence of the moment. Over 20 years he has caught some of the most memorable moments in rock and roll I have been attached too.”

- Kevin Zinger - Owner, Suburban Noize Records, SRH, Regime Management

“As CEO of Morter HealthSystem, a 40 year old company, I choose to affiliate with only high quality people. People who can deliver on a moment’s notice, not only their service, but their grasp of the situation is paramount. I count on people to bring their expertise to any given situation, ultimately ending up with a result far better than I might have even imagined.

Derek Plank is such a person. Our company has delivered well over 1500 seminars/trainings worldwide and we’ve had the pleasure of employing Derek for many years. He has continually delivered beyond expectation and with thoughtful interaction with our participants.

Derek understands the dynamics of a large program and continually encourages the best photos from everyone involved.

He understands the dynamics of a live event, remains in the background with seemingly invisible presence, and always “gets the shot”.

Offering an invaluable service to our company, I sincerely recommend Derek Plank.”

-Dr. Ted Morter III - CEO, Morter HealthSystem

“I've known Derek Plank as a friend and a professional photographer for more than a decade. His live music shots are pretty amazing, but in addition to that, he has shot our Casbah staff Christmas card photo for the past dozen years. Always a true pro - patient, thorough, respectful, and the results are always top notch!”

-Tim Mays – Owner, Casbah

“For 11 years I was the Sales Manager for the San Diego Reader. And under my direction the Reader saw its largest revenue growth in the history of the paper. I attribute one key ingredient to that extraordinary growth, to my decision of hiring Derek Plank. His immense talent and incredible ability to capture photography that could easily be categorized as art, made our jobs of selling advertising built around his beautiful work very easy. After leaving the Reader, I went on to create and star on my own television show called Storage Hunters, which airs in 138 countries. When I needed Public Relations photos for my TV show and when I needed photos for my European stand up comedy tour, I called Derek Plank. Because when you need a photographer that simply "gets it" and delivers amazing results, you call Derek.”

- Sean Kelly - TV Host / Auctioneer, Storage Hunters

“Hawkins Construction, Inc. has been working with Derek for almost 10 years and we highly recommend him. Derek is a quality professional whom we enjoy working with. He has a great eye for setting up the scene to create the best conditions for our photos. Derek delivers great quality photographs, which we always receive compliments on. He is flexible and reliable and he takes a lot of the pressure off because we know from experience that the final photographs will be high quality and print ready.”

- Tiffany Hawkins

“I've known Derek for many years. When I owned SLAMM Magazine, he shot some great photos for us. Derek also donated his time for many years to shoot photos at the annual San Diego Music Awards, a benefit for school music programs. He is a true professional and a great photographer. I wouldn't hesitate to refer him to anyone...he always takes care of everything necessary for a great shoot.”

- Kevin Hellman - Publisher, San Diego CityBeat

“Derek rented his first office inside 619 Graphic Design, so we have been referring him to our clients since 2002. He continuously produces top notch images that our designers love working with. We’ve used him for projects requiring product photography, models, advertising, building interiors, head shots, theatre photos, food photography and I’ve even used him for my own family photos. We can always count on Derek’s diverse photographic abilities to get the job done.”

- Ron Kipnis – Principal, 619 Graphic Design

“Derek Plank is one of the most talented photographers we've ever worked with. Working with Derek for over 15 years now, I can say that he is one of the most creative, experienced professionals in the business. His patience and passion for the art of photography is second to none. I recommend his service to anyone that wants superior quality and service!”

- Ryan Green - Founder & CEO, Get 1 Free Magazine

“Derek Plank is a true rock star in the world of photography. I hired Derek as our photographer to do a photo shoot on an up and coming band in San Diego. Our goal was to capture the artist as their true authentic selves. This is exactly what Derek did. With his professional approach and great attention to detail, he blended their art and his eye together for an amazing outcome! I would highly recommend Derek Plank.”

- Alice Stinnett - Owner, 13esr Productions

“I've had the pleasure of working with Derek Plank on many projects over the years. My first experience with his company was a photo shoot for a newly renovated hotel. We were blown away how Derek was able to capture every little detail in his shots. He's an expert on finding just the right angle with the perfect lighting. The images were exactly what we needed for all our marketing collateral. Recently, we used Derek's services again for a new product launch. He was able to create just the right shots to make our technology hardware look sexy. His studio is awesome and conveniently located downtown. It's comfortable, clean and inviting with great images of some of his best work. Derek is creative, professional, and dependable, we would hire him again in a heartbeat.”

- Debi Besmer – Managing Partner, Archelon Enclosures

”Having known and worked closely with Derek on a wide range of projects for close to two decades, the word "professionalism" best describes the man and his work. He has always given 110 percent, often overcoming fatigue, frustration, recalcitrant weather, fickle light, and hungover models, to produce images of exceptional quality and creativity. In an era of specialization Derek is like a Swiss Army knife, and will remain the first guy I call to get the job handled, whatever the subject or location.”

-Lance Leslie - Media Consultant; former Photo Editor, Climbing Magazine; former Editor-in-Chief, Revolt In Style Magazine

“Derek is wonderful. Always a pleasure to work with, very professional, fairly priced and an amazing photographer. I have used Derek for concerts, parties and charity events and all of his photos are always stunning!”

-Kira Finkenberg - Owner, The Kira Co

“Derek Plank was an amazing addition to our retreat in Bimini, Bahamas. Not only was he accomodating and easy to work with, he thought to capture many extra pics that weren’t on my list, as well as get angles and beautiful, scenic shots on our hike and other excursions. He used his camera knowledge to get some magical evening pictures with fireworks too! I love the variety of his work, would highly recommend him and will definitely use him again for future retreats!”

-Jennefer Moseley - Owner and Founder, Hermosa Well Being, Manhattan Beach

“Derek’s artistry as a photographer has been an integral element to many of the productions I have directed. His photos are memorable, visceral, and he has the imaginative instinct to not only capture the fleeting moment with a singular aesthetic, but to portray it from a distinct perspective that tells the larger story. He has always been someone I trust to document the immediate and complex actions of creative industry in an inspired fashion, whether it be live performance, on stage, behind the scenes, process, editorials, product, and portraiture shots. In the 15 or so years we have collaborated together, Derek has always delivered beautifully executed imagery before deadline, on budget, and in a highly organized and easily communicated manner. I would highly recommend Derek to any creative professional, knowing that he will exceed your expectations if given the opportunity.

For the film, music and art productions I have directed, Derek Plank has provided photography for:

Behind the Scenes documentation of music video productions for musicians Chris Cornell, Unwritten Law and Mad Juana

Art Documentation of sculptures I created in Kenya at Peter Beard’s "Hog Ranch” and for Pearl Jam’s “Life Wasted” music video production for an art book.

Documentation of Art Exhibitions at Phillips in New York, House of Blues in San Diego, and the Silverlake Society of Authentic Arts in Los Angeles, CA.

Architectural/Interior Design, Product Images, and Portraits for MODRA Studio Textiles and Wallcoverings.”

- Fernando Apodaca http://www.fernandoapodaca.com