rose derkay

FINDING THE BEST VIEW  

Always interested in photography, I quickly took advantage of the purchase of Family  Times Magazine in Ocala, Florida to study the craft. What a great opportunity to grow  my photography skills. Spending 13 years as editor-publisher-owner-photographer of  a local family magazine, I was able to go from beginner to professional, capturing  editorial photos for my magazine as well as other local, regional and national  publications.  Selling the magazine in 2018 left me free to focus on many different subjects and I  quickly gravitated to macro photography. Using my lens to capture macro florals has  become my passion. My toolbox includes a Nikon d810, Nikon z7, various macro  lenses and extension tubes. These companions come with me to botanical gardens,  f  lower farms, roadside wildflowers attraction and into my “outdoor” studio. I’ve come  to enjoy every facet of photography, the vision, the capture and the artistic evolution  in Adobe Lightroom Classic.  Encouraging local artists led to my first professional piece on display at Brick City  Center for the Arts, Ocala Flower exhibit in June of 2021. 

October 2021, at 62, I  became an emerging artist and displayed my first collection at the Fine Arts Festival  of Ocala (FAFO), followed by a first collection First Bloom, Arts in City Spaces in  Ocala. Since then, I’ve had my photos in exhibits locally and regionally, and won  awards for my pieces at fine arts festivals throughout the state. Currently, my third full  exhibit at Silver Springs State Park Visitor’s Center.