DEREK®

DEREK MASSEY /// GREATER CHICAGO AREA & BEYOND

Photography + Video

[ THE PHILOSOPHY ]

THE BALANCE OF LIGHT, SHADOW, AND THE SPACES BETWEEN.

CRAFTING MOOD, DEPTH, AND CINEMATIC PERSPECTIVE ACROSS EDITORIAL PORTRAITS, PRODUCTS, AND THE UNCHARTERED TEXTURES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD.

Photography is never about simply recording what sits in front of the lens. It’s about building an atmosphere. By playing sharp light against deep, cinematic dark, every frame is engineered to evoke a specific mood, pulling raw emotion straight from the shadows.

That philosophy anchors everything—from the human-centric focus of editorial portraits and headshots to the intentional geometry of commercial product storytelling. It’s about carving out a definitive edge, whether that means capturing candid human presence with a 28mm, zeroing in on character with a 50mm, or leveraging a 35mm macro to expose the hidden micro-landscapes that the human eye naturally misses.

Much like Beyond the Red, this work thrives on getting deep into the details. Through deliberate lighting and meticulous framing, ordinary surfaces transform into sprawling, uncharted territories—an underworld waiting to be exposed, offering the thrill of discovering an entirely new nebula right beneath our fingertips.

Derek Massey
Untitled, from Beyond the Red Series 2026
Macro Photography, Canon R10 : 35mm Lens

Capturing the unseen: framing and illuminating the tactile depth of Beyond the Red with intentional macro focus.

[ COMMERCIAL CRAFT + BRAND IDENTITY ]

BUILDING A DIGITAL PRESENCE WITH AN EDGE.

BY MERGING STRATEGY, DESIGN, AND VISUAL STORYTELLING, I HELP PEOPLE AND THEIR BRANDS FIND AN EDGE AND DEVELOP A PERSPECTIVE THAT STICKS.

Most photographers stop the moment they capture a striking image in isolation. As a photographer I think through a trained designers lens. As I shoot I am thinking about the layout before I press the shutter.

I don't just shoot to record a moment. I shoot so the imagery actually works and functions within a design system. I’m framing every shot knowing where the typography will land, how the grid will breathe, and how the crop will hit a digital screen or print page. When photography and layout architecture are built by the same hand, nothing feels forced—the visual media and the design simply lock into place.

Captured live during immersive barbershop masterclasses, this imagery blends focused student instruction and candid expression with razor-sharp detail shots showcasing signature fades and beard work. Taken specifically for website use and social media posts.

[ EDITORIAL PORTRAITS ]

HuMAN CONNECTION.
Cinematic Narrative.

WE ALL HAVE A UNIQUE STORY. I USE A CAMERA AS A TOOL TO CAPTURE HUMAN ESSENCE AND SOUL.

Rooted in the very space where design, color theory, and fabrication collide. This is the maker in his element—surrounded by the raw textures and personal artifacts of the studio. Framed by moody, directional light, the portrait captures quiet confidence and intent, turning the workspace itself into a living extension of the narrative.

Caught right on the edge of a dry joke. An old soul with a fiercely creative mind, she’s quiet and introverted in the room, until she casually drops a deadpan punchline or fires off an elite meme out of nowhere. Stripped down to high-contrast monochrome, this portrait captures the singular essence of an artist who observes everything, thinks in layers, and only speaks when it carries weight.

Standing at the threshold of the business he built from the ground up. At the close of a relentless day of craft and community, Joey pauses in the doorway of Barber Battalion. Framed by clean architectural lines and the physical space of his own creation, this portrait captures the quiet, grounded grit of a founder—the hard-earned weight of dedication etched into posture and presence, anchored firmly in the world he brought to life.

[ FEATURED PRODUCT: COMMERCIAL ]

[ PERSONAL EXPLORATIONS ]

STUDIES OF MATTER & METAPHOR.

I explore raw, tactile language of products and people. As an artist, crafter & builder I’ve always believed things built by hand carry a quiet and truthful story. This is my personal imagery and study of things I’ve owned since I was a child, experiences I’ve had and personal thoughts. This area is reserved for pure curiosity. An ongoing exploration of surface, ideas, color, texture and lighting that help to reveal metaphors hidden quietly inside physical objects. Built layer by tactile layer in the details.

[ PERSONAL EXPLORATIONS ]

META_4.

A recurring visual study using symbolic objects, color theory, and dramatic light to translate abstract concepts into tangible narratives.

Beyond client and concept development lies Meta_4. A conceptual playground dedicated to personal exploration and visual metaphor. Each piece is an exercise in stripping an object down to its core emotion, leveraging deliberate color palettes, high-contrast lighting, and tight framing to turn collectible figures and vintage toys into storytelling statements.

It's where design theory meets basic instinct. Freestyle experimentation and explorations without a specific purpose or outcome in mind—yet through deliberate palettes and low-angle framing, these artifacts bridge the distance from the toys of childhood to adult collectibles, transforming simple objects into quiet vessels for personal memory and felt meaning.

[ VIDEO - MOTION & NARRATIVE ]

MOVING IMAGE.

CINEMATIC DEPTH & MOTION.

It begins with precision. Shot from the barber’s perspective, an immersive macro opener reveals the raw, uncompromised truth of the craft in extreme detail. On location inside the Barber Battalion shop, that same discipline drives the narrative—balancing shallow depth of field, precise focal length, and meticulous color grading to elevate brand awareness and education.

Below, a class attendee shares an elegant, truthful testimonial on what she learned about precision from Joey, closing with a candid, unscripted smile. Telling a client's best story through moving image and cinematic framing is the ultimate pursuit.