Deryck van Steenderen, also known as Deryck vS, is a focussed, lateral thinking, solutions orientated, budget aware, innovative photographer, filmmaker and writer.
Raised in Southern Africa, Deryck now works internationally from the U.K., identifying as a EurAfrikan.
Originally an aspiring photojournalist, then a commercial photographer and filmmaker, Deryck now focuses on environmental and climate change issues and projects. He strongly believes that if we do not find the right solutions to climate change nothing else will matter. He is particularly passionate about rewilding, that he sees as essential to the survival of all species.
Deryck graduated from Cambridge University’s Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership in Business Sustainability Management in 2021 and now specialises in sustainability communication with a special focus on nature based solutions to climate change.
He is the founding member of the Creative Collaborative Collective in South Africa and is the author of ‘Exposed – The Business of Photography’.
His fashion film ‘Immersion‘ was chosen for the Official Selection and screened at the Cannes Short Film Festival in 2015. Both, ‘Caress‘ and ‘Immersion‘ directed by Deryck were part of the 2015 Official Selection of the Bokeh Fashion Film Festival held in Cape Town. He also received a Bronze Award in the Creative Asia Photography Awards 2012 in the ‘Commercial & Fashion’ category for his Print Media Ad shot for Johnson’s Fair Complexion range for Drum Magazine.
Deryck lectured in ‘Professional Practice’ (the business of photography) at the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography (2008 – 2012), Cape Town School of Photography (2012 – 2013), City Varsity (Cape Town, 2010), The Market Photo Workshop (Johannesburg, 2012) and was an invited speaker at the Photo & Film Expo (2011-14).
As a keen entrepreneur Deryck studied Small Business Development through the SBDC and UCT Graduate School of Business CIE. He served on the South African Freelancers Association (SAFREA) Executive Committee from 2008 – 2009 managing the Business and Legal Portfolio.
His grandfather and namesake, Deryck Humphriss, an optometrist and keen amateur photographer, gave Deryck his first camera, a Russian Zenit 35 mm film camera, at the age of 15. He’s been shooting ever since.
Deryck started out as a freelance photojournalist whilst studying photography on a part-time basis at The School of Modern Photography (Johannesburg). Work from his first photojournalism assignment was exhibited in the Union Buildings in Tshwane (formerly Pretoria) as part of a group exhibition on ‘Life in Alexandra’ organised by The Citizen Newspaper. As a student eight of his photographs covering the Chris Hani Riots in Cape Town were bought by a German news agent.
He received a scholarship to study landscape design and environmental studies at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). After graduating he worked in the landscape design and construction industry for five years until returning to photography in February 2000. Since then he has worked as a freelance commercial photographer, director, filmmaker, writer, guest speaker and creative producer.
Descendant from mixed heritage his birth surname is van Steenderen (Dutch), a mouthful for the tongue-tied who abbreviated it to Deryck vS.