For more than five decades, Derek Seaward has built a reputation as one of Britain’s most respected commercial photographers.
Known for his work across automotive, portrait, still life and advertising photography, Derek has created award-winning campaigns for brands including BMW, Ferrari, British Airways, Sony and Barclays, while also exhibiting personal work internationally, including at The Louvre.
Alongside his commercial work, Derek has long been an advocate for photographers and creative standards within the industry. He served as President of the Association of Photographers from 1999 to 2001, mentoring emerging photographers and championing professionalism, copyright protection and respect for creative work.
Speaking with Derek, it quickly becomes clear that while the technology of photography may have changed dramatically, the principles behind great image-making have not. Creativity matters, of course, but so do preparation, care, trust and professionalism.
There’s a moment that Derek keeps returning to.
A film crew had arrived in his street to shoot a scene for the 1961 Only Two Can Play starring Peter Sellers. Overnight, the familiar surroundings of his childhood changed completely. Stone walls were painted white. A television shop became a pub. A red telephone box appeared outside. Then came the lights.
Huge lamps were bounced off the painted walls to create what looked like natural night light.
“It mesmerised me,” Derek says. “That never left me.”
That moment sparked not just a fascination with photography, but with production itself. The transformation of an ordinary space into something cinematic. The careful orchestration of people, planning, lighting and process to create a single image.
Decades later, after a career spanning genres and applications, Derek still approaches photography with the same excitement.
“The joy that comes from creating an image never wanes,” he says. “I still get excited every time I pick up a camera.”
But speaking with Derek, one word surfaced more than any other:
Professionalism.
Not in the corporate sense. In the craft sense.
The kind built on preparation, care, consistency and respect for everyone involved in making the image possible.
“I always had ideas,” Derek explains. “But I learnt professionalism from photographers like David Thorpe. He made sure there was always film ready. We always did test shots. If we needed a model maker, we made sure we found the right person, everything matters.”
That attention to detail shaped his entire approach to photography.
“Production is key,” he says. “And adding in care.”
In an era where digital photography allows almost unlimited shooting, Derek worries that some of that care is being lost.
“These days people take 400 photographs and assume one will be good enough,” he says. “But professionalism comes from respect.”
To explain the point, he references chef and broadcaster Anthony Bourdain.
“He said it’s easier to clean a toilet than a kitchen, so if the bathroom is filthy, imagine what the kitchen looks like. It’s the same with photography. The details matter.”
That idea of respect runs through everything Derek talks about. Respect for the image. Respect for the process. Respect for the people involved.
And ultimately, respect builds trust.
That connection between professionalism and trust resonated strongly with us at imageRelease, because trust sits at the centre of modern image licensing and permissions management.
Derek sees the relationship clearly.
“Trust is often missing now,” he says. “That’s why agreements and releases are so important. You lose trust when clients hand imagery over for third-party use without proper control.”
For Derek, releases, licensing agreements and terms and conditions are not administrative afterthoughts. They are part of protecting everybody involved.
“Every image, invoice, model release and property release should come with terms and conditions,” he says. “It protects your work, the client’s work and the dignity of the people involved.”
That sense of protection matters even more in the digital era, where images can be altered, reused and distributed instantly.
“I’ve had images used without permission,” Derek says. “I’ve had them colour-changed, turned around and plagiarised. All of those cases were resolved, but only after a lot of time, effort and cost. It shows why copyright and licensing matter.”
Yet despite the frustrations of misuse, Derek still speaks about photography with unmistakable wonder. Especially when talking about composition and the visual space itself.
During our conversation he described always beginning with “the rectangle”.
Before the lighting. Before the production. Before the people arrive.
Just the empty frame.
He traces this idea back to childhood trips to the cinema with his mother. Her friend worked there as a cleaner and would give them free tickets.
“When the curtains opened and that huge white rectangle filled with images, it fascinated me,” he says. “I realised I wanted to create my own images.”
Even now, every photograph begins the same way.
“I always start with the rectangle,” Derek says. “Even taking a picture on my phone. When I receive a brief, I can usually already see the final image in my head. But first I draw the box. Then it’s about making that happen and filling the rectangle.”
It’s a striking idea because it captures something deeper about photography itself.
The image may begin with imagination, but bringing it to life depends on process, professionalism, people and trust.
The rectangle only gets filled properly to create that final image when all of those things come together.
Image: © 2026 Derek Seaward