Hurricane Maria inflicted lots of damage on Dominica and my life in Sept.2017 – but I am still here and have lots of photographs and video documenting the devastation and recovery.
Derek Galon – M.A., FRPS, FOPS, hon.FSAPI, hon.CPE (only 10th Canadian to receive the Royal Photographic Society’s Fellowship, their highest distinction).
RELOCATED FROM CANADA TO DOMINICA (not Dominicana!), Eastern Caribbean, West Indies.
Son of a musician – as a small child loved spending hours under his dad’s grand piano, listening as he practiced for his upcoming concerts. This powerful experience of real “surround sound” determined his life choice – the arts!
He studied classical music, arts and photography – requisitioned the family bathroom to serve as darkroom. Already in his teens he was winning awards and exhibiting works, while simultaneously continuing his education and giving concerts. With university studies completed, he further pursued his professional career in the arts.
After arriving in Canada from Europe, he expanded his professional interests to include multimedia and graphic design. He has also published books, managed Royal Holographic Art Gallery curating its display, and collaborated on production of animated 3D holograms. But photography and filming still remain his strongest passion. And, he keeps photographing…and then, filming…and photographing… (now for over forty years!)
Derek has made his mark during the last four decades as an internationally recognized architecture and commercial photographer, while creating his own art images along the way. His works sold to clients in many countries around the world. Currently, Derek is represented by Nature Picture Library (UK) and other stock agencies, also offering his work directly to clients – so feel free to inquire by email..
Along with his long-time partners Margaret Gajek (art historian, researcher, writer) and Les Nowak (photo panorama expert) he created in 2009 Ozone Zone Books publishing company. Their books won Benjamin Franklin Book Excellence Gold Award 2010 in New York, prestigious international Nautilus Book Award 2011, along with some other awards. Also dozens of Derek’s art photos won prestigious international awards and medals, and participated in dozens of exhibitions in United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East, Japan, China, India, and Canada.
Derek is available for lectures and workshops on technical and artistic aspects of photography, photo-editing, travel photography, creative studio lighting, and on photography publishing – to camera clubs and other interested parties. He often gets invited as a juror, and organized for many years the Ozone Zone International Photo Salon.
Derek also offers independently his photography and video filming services, video and photography consultation, both for local customers in Dominica, West Indies (Eastern Caribbean, or Lesser Antilles) – and for customers requiring fine photography/filming taken in various locations around the world. He delivered many fine images to most prestigious clients, as well as the luxury real estate agencies such as Christie’s and Sotheby’s International Realty (in UK and Canada). He is a rare cross-breed between commercial, documentary, and art photographers.
He specializes in photographing boutique hotels, fine B&B, resorts, historic architecture and fine real estate for publicity/advertising needs. He also films – often with his drones – to offer stock to Nature Picture Library, and for various TV producers.
Having vast experience in architecture photography/video, landscape, nature, various styles of art portraits, conceptual art, travel and editorial photography – he photographs exclusive residences and mansions for advertising, display or archival purposes, does fine art portraits for portfolios – artistic images to treasure for years to come.
Derek is a Dominica photographer – cameraman – video producer, but travels to other countries and islands as needed – often hired in Barbados, Montserrat, or Grenada… For more information or quotes, please contact Derek directly (see Contact page).
Derek’s Photo Blog is here.
Personal blog of Derek Galon and Margaret Gajek is here.
Derek’s new site about services (including drone mapping, photo tutorials, and other services) is here.
Derek’s large nature prints for wall decor are available in Dominica at Campbells Business Systems, Art Division.
On top of photography and video services, Derek has a large stock library of photographs and video clips in several genres (Architecture, Caribbean landscape, Nature, Music, People).
These are fine display images perfect for decoration, advertising, media, etc.. Some of them are available as limited edition prints, with signature and numbering.
Licensing rights are directly available, just send an email. His works are also available through Nature Picture Library (UK), Rex and Shutterstock/Getty Images. Please contact Derek if interested.
Besides Ozone Zone Books’ publications, Derek’s photographs & videos have been used by many premier magazines, newspapers, other media and events – including:
– National Geographic (2016)
– Debbie Travis – Caribbean Charm, April 18 2010 (syndicated)
– Luxury Home Quarterly Summer 2010 (main feature – 26 pages)
– Building Savvy magazine vol.2 2010
– Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, Calgary Herald, Victoria Times Colonist
– ZING (in-flight Liat airlines) vol.8 Summer 2010
– Good Life Connoisseur magazine (Heat Wave feature) Summer 2010
– Trellis – Toronto Botanical Garden mag. Winter 2011, vol.38, nr 1
– ZING magazine (in-flight Liat airlines) vol.10 Jan-March 2011,
– Real Life magazine, March 2011 (in two separate features),
– Real Life magazine, August 2011
– Luxury Home Quarterly – Spring 2011
– Victoria Boulevard Magazine – autumn 2011
– Canadian Camera – winter 2011
– ZING (in-flight Liat airlines) Jan. 2012
– MACO Caribbean Living – Jan. 2012 (large feature + cover)
– VOGUE – Feb. 2012
– ISLANDS Magazine – Caribbean Travel + Life – Spring 2012
– Travel and Leisure (summer 2012, summer 2023)
– Real Life Magazine – July 2012 (in three separate features)
– Image “Tile Tales” published in prestigious limited edition book by Scandinavian . – The book titled No Words shows 200 select international fine art photographs.
– No Words – fine art photography book by 1X
– PASSION – fine art photography book by 1X
– Mono – fine art photography book by 1X
– CNN (Oct 2012), Daily Telegraph (UK)
– Real Life Caribbean – Nov. 2012
– YellowPages
– Country Life (UK magazine) April 2013
– The Financial Times
Gardeners’ Garden – book by Phaidon Press
– Virgin Atlantic (UK)
– Experience Dominica 2016 (42 photos)
– Experience Dominica 2017 (39 photos)
– Washington Post
– Sunday Express (UK)
– Adventure.com
-YellowPages/Flow – Dominica (parrot on cover, and other images)
-Monthly Photography – South Korea
– Apple TV+
– Shades Of Color magazine (2021)
– WICKED+ Marketing & Branding (USA)
– COP26 UN Climate Summit 2021 (Scotland)
– Dubai World Expo 2020 (UAE) 2021
– Caribbean Airlines 2022
– France Télévisions Pôle France 3 (2022)
– St Nicholas University: School of Veterinary Medicine
– St Nicholas Animal Rescue Dominica
– The Globe and Mail (Canadian national newspaper)
and many others…
seen in
–
Some of Derek’s RECENT CLIENTS include:
– Cap Maison Luxury Villa Resort – (St Lucia) #1 “Most Excellent Small Resort Award, Pacific, Atlantic and Caribbean” by Condé Nast
– Lane Pettigrew Architects (LPA Inc, Florida USA, St Lucia, Dominican Republic, Honduras) – multi-awarded Caribbean architectural firm
– Prime Caribbean resorts & villas: Arc En Ciel Villa (St Lucia),
The Crane (Barbdos),
Couples Sans Souci (Jamaica),
Hedonism II (Jamaica),
Hibiscis Villa (Sandals) St Lucia,
La Giralda (Honduras), Le Sport (St Lucia),
La Source (St Lucia), Portal del Angel (Honduras),
Starfish – Lido, Runaway – Breezes (Jamaica),
Sunset Montego Bay (Jamaica),
Sunset Negril (Jamaica),
Sunset Ocho Rios (Jamaica) – – for LPA Inc.
– Jalousie Plantation – Sugar Beach Estate Resort (St Lucia) – multi-awarded luxury villa resort
– Mount Hartman Bay Estate (Grenada) – renowned boutique hotel/luxury villa
– Fort Young Hotel (Dominica) – Dominica’s premier hotel
– Prickly Bay Waterside – luxury condos (Grenada)- award-winning modern condo project
– Fond Doux Holiday Plantation (St. Lucia)
– Sotheby’s International Realty (UK) – luxury real estate agency
– Real Life magazine (Cayman Islands)
– Secret Bay boutique resort (Dominica) luxury eco lodging
– Villa Marco Polo (Victoria, BC Canada) – Condé Nast award-winning luxury B&B
– Welchman Hall Gully, Barbados
– Sotheby’s International Realty, BC, Canada – luxury real estate agency
– Pemberton Holmes real estate, Canada
– Sutton Group real estate, Canada
– Little Arches Resort in Barbados
– Hunte’s Gardens, Barbados
– Ministry of Tourism, Government of Montserrat, West Indies
– Montserrat Development Corporation
– Country Life (UK magazine)
– Daily Telegraph (UK national newspaper)
– Phaidon Press
– Beau Rive boutique hotel in Dominica
– Maco Magazine (several times)
– Experience Dominica magazine
– Caribbean Beat (Caribbean Airlines’ magazine)
– Discover Dominica Authority
– Miss Dominica 2017
– Barbados Tourism Office
– Hotel The Champs, Dominica
– Manicou River, Dominica
– Cocoa Cottages, Dominica
– Extreme Dominica
– Papillote Gardens in Dominica
– GEMS Holdings Inc.
– YellowPages
– Belfast Rum Distillery , Dominica
– Roots Organic Farm, Dominica
– Brandy Manor Horse Riding Center, Dominica
– S-Mart supermarket, Roseau
– Dominica Intl Airport
– 473 Luxury Villa Resort Grenada
– Shoreline International (USA)
– Plimsoll Productions (UK) for Apple+ TV
– Hyundai/Fomex (S.Korea)
– JustGoDominica.com
– IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
– ARGO Development Studio (Barbados)
– Azed Marketing (St Marteen)
– Marcelina Inc.
– Rosalie Bay Eco-Resort (Dominica)
– Cabrits Kempinski Hotel, Spa & Resort, Dominica
– World Peace Organization (HWPL)
– Sinach – internationally acclaimed Gospel singer
– Safe Haven – Dominica Real Estate agency
– Invest Dominica Authority
– St. Nicholas University: School of Veterinary Medicine, Dominica
– France Télévisions Pôle France 3
– BBC Natural History unit
and many more…
Some of Derek’s recent exhibitions and awards:
At Home – Wherever Your Heart Is – exhibition in Vancouver, Canada. December 2010 to January 2011.
Benjamin Franklin Excellence Award – Gold Medal. New York 2010
Eric Hoffer Award 2010 – finalist (USA)
BOTYA merit of excellence 2011 (USA)
Nautilus Silver Award 2011 (USA)
Benjamin Franklin Excellence Award 2011 – (Bronze)
IGPOTY 2011 (International Garden Photographer Of The Year competition), UK, with exhibition by KEW Gardens, Royal Gardens
Monochrome – International Photography Competition 2011, UK
Canadian Photography Competition 2011 by CAPA – award
Textures – International Photography Competition 2011, UK
Budapest International Photo Salon 2011
Southampton International Photo Salon 2012 (award + exhibition)
Bristol International Photography Salon 2012, in UK
EPSON International Photo Panorama Contest 2012 – Bronze
Welsh International Photo Salon 2012 (2 awards and exhibition)
Sooke Fine Art Show 2012
The Royal Photographic Society’s 2012 International Projected Image Exhibition, in UK
Oxford International Photo Salon 2012 (UK)
Four Nations Art Photography Competition 2012
IGPOTY 2013 – 2nd Place (International Garden Photographer Of The Year), UK at KEW Gardens, Royal Gardens.
Sixth Photography Masters Cup 2013 (USA)
100th Southampton International Photo Salon 2013 (UK)
GOLD MEDAL at Trierenberg Super Circuit 2013, Austria.
The London Salon of Photography 2013 Medal, in UK.
SOLWAY Small Print International Salon 2013 – FIAP Ribbon (Cumbria, UK)
Welsh International Salon 2013 (UK)
Royal Photographic Society’s International Images for Screen Exhibition 2013, in London, UK
Malmo International Exhibition of Photographic Art 2013 (Sweden)
34th Northern Counties International Salon of Photography (UK) – awarded a Highly Commended
1st INTERNATIONAL SALON OF PHOTOGRAPHY “WOMAN – MAN – CHILD 2013” in Kula, Serbia – 2x FIAP Honourable Mention award.
Images exhibited at Black Box Art Gallery in Portland, OR, and 1650 Gallery in Los Angeles, CA (USA).
The 7th annual Px3 competition, Paris, France – Honourable Mention
Photo Art Championship 2013 (Austria) – Gold Medal
3rd International Photo Salon NOVI SAD 2013 (Serbia) FIAP Gold Medal
2x Honour Award at CAPA 2013 Annual Digital Competition (Canada)
Bronze UPI Medal -Oxford International Salon of Photography 2013, UK.
FIAP Gold Medal, FIAP Hon. Mention, Jury award at ISO 2013, Belgium.
FIAP Silver Medal, Judges UPI Cert, and 3x Highly Commended at 9th Swansea International Salon (UK).
29th Torria Prize – Ligurian Circuit 2013., Italy – Bronze Medal
FIAP Gold Medal, HPSC Gold Medal, 3x Honourable Mention at Intl Olympic Photo Circuit 2013, Greece.
Wrekin Photo Salon 2013 – John Chamberlin Medal and HM (UK)
120TH TORONTO INTERNATIONAL SALON OF PHOTOGRAPHY – 2x Silver Medal, 1x Bronze Medal (PSA), 2x Honourable Mention (Canada).
Cork International Photo Salon (Ireland) – Silver RPS Medal.
74th International Photographic Salon Of Japan – The Asahi Shimbun 2013 – Honourable Mention.
PIPA 2014 – Singapore – 1x FIAP and 1x RPS HM Ribbons.
9th Holland International Image Circuit – Stitchting 2014 – PSA HM
– IRELAND EXHIBITION 2015 – PSA Gold medal +HM
– Bristol Salon 2016 (UK) – HM
– Photo Art Prague 2016 – RPS Gold Medal
– Works on display in Chashama Gallery at 4 Times Square, New York, USA
– Works on display in Gallery G21N in New York, USA
– 67th Midland International Salon of Photography (UK) – MCPF Ribbon
– 2016 PSA International (USA) – HM
– Photo Magic 2016 – PSA Gold, and 2x MoL Gold medal.
– INTERNATIONAL KOHINOOR DIGITAL CIRCUIT-2016 (India) – 2x KDC
Gold medal, 1x HM
– FotoFeria International (Poland) – 1x FF Medal, 7x HM
– Photo Artist International Salon of Photography 2016, Switzerland –
FIAP Gold Medal, 1x HM
– Bulgaria International Photo Contest 2016 – Silver Medal, HM
– 4th Cork International Salon of Photography 2016 (Ireland)
PSA Bronze Medal
– Exhibited works at Hartlauer Fotogalerie in Linz,
Austria, 05.08 to 02.10 2016, in exhibition Art of Nude.
– International Golden Salon, Denmark – Silver Medal
– Miracle Image Photo Salon 2017 , India – 2x Gold Medal
– Rainbow International Photo Circuit 2017, Kolkata, India – 2x Gold Medal,
1x Bronze Medal.
– Exhibited works at Bristol Salon 2017, UK
– SHADOW 2nd INTERNATIONAL Circuit 2017, INDIA– 3x Gold Medal
– Swiss International Photo Salon 2017 – Silver Medal.
– 6th Obsession of Light 2017, Finland -Gold Medal FIAP
– AFAN 2017 Int’l Exhibition of Photography, Saudi Arabia – Gold Medal GPU.
– 68th Midland Salon of International Photography 2017, UK –
Gold medal PSA, FIAP Ribbon.
– UNIQ IMAGINATION INTERNATIONAL 2017, India– 2x Salon Gold Medal
– Hartlauer Foto Galerie, Linz – Austria. Exhibited art photography
in 2015, 2016, 2017.
– Campina Photo Exhibition 2017 – Romania – Gold Medal
– Works on display at 1X 10th Anniversary Exhibition in World
Financial Center, Shanghai, China, January 2018
– Works on display at 16th China International Photography Exhibition
2018.Dominica Film Challenge 2018 – the Media – – –
Award for short film Dominica – Hike an Island Reborn.
– SIBIU International Photo Exhibition 2018, Romania – FIAP Ribbon.
– Master Of Light Biennial 2018, Austria – 2x Gold Medal
– Campina International Exhibition 2018, Romania – Gold Medal
– 3rd Shutterbug International Salon 2019, India – Gold Medal.
– Bangladesh International Photo Salon 2019 – HM
– Fine Art Portraits exhibition at Rope St. Museum, Brasov,
Romania. 2 images on display. 2019
– Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival 2019
– Full Frame International Photo Exhibition – India 2020 – 10 images on
display + 1 award.
– Zoom-In Photo Salon – 10 images on exhibition in Goa, Kolkata
and Mumbai, India. 2020.
– Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival 2020. Video “Dominica Forest”
accepted and screened.
– Salon El Argentino – Buenos Aires 2020 – Silver medal, blue ribbon.
– NATIONAL ACADEMY OF PHOTOGRAPHY in Kolkata,
India 2020 – 4 images on exhibition.
– Tagore International Film Festival 2020 in India – Best Cinematography Award, Best Short Documentary Award.
(Dominica – Three Years After Hurricane Maria video).
– Shortlisted at Southampton Film Week 2020 (UK)
(Dominica – Three Years After Hurricane Maria video).
Finalist at Sweden International Film Festival 2020
– Ireland 2021 Exhibition – 5 images on display
– Dhaka International Photo Awards 2021 (BanglaDesh) – 10 images on display, 2 awards
– Ceylonica International Salon 2021 – 5 images on display, 1 award
– Onyx International Exhibition of Photography 2021 (Romania) 1 award, 7 images on display.
– Gulf International Photo Circuit 2021 – Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait – 1 award, 4 images exhibited.
Campina Photo Salon, Romania 2022 – 1 award, 2 images exhibited
New York Photography Awards 2022 – Category winner, Gold winner
Stockholm City Film Festival 2023, Lulea International (Sweden)2023, Denver Film Awards 2023 – Finalist.
Milan Short Films 2023, Travel Fest in Albania 2023 , Cine Paris 2023 – Official Selection.
(This list is not complete)