Sign In:


Derek grew up in New York, while spending part of his summers in Maine, where he developed an appreciation for its wild landscape and natural beauty. Moving from a metropolitan area to the wide-open spaces of Maine felt like an escape to an earlier time when life was simpler, he says. The air seemed pure and the dark night skies were both quiet and alive. After graduating from the University of New England in Biddeford, Derek started his photojournalism career at a newspaper in White Plains, NY. In 2004, he moved to Scarborough and joined the staff at the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. He lives with his wife and three children in Scarborough. His favorite assignments are photographing the outdoors of Maine, especially along the coast, and covering local sporting events.

Latest
  • Published
    December 26, 2023

    2023 Photos of the Year: Homeless in Portland

    Homelessness in Portland grew to new dimensions in 2023. Even as a new city shelter opened in Riverton, homeless encampments emerged throughout the city – in parks, on trails and even on a state-owned parking lot. Local agencies struggled with how to respond, and the issue was central in Portland’s mayoral election. Throughout the year, Press Herald photographers documented people living outside, learning their names and their stories and offering readers an unblinking look at one of society’s most complex challenges.

  • Published
    December 26, 2023

    2023 Photos of the Year

    Beauty comes in many forms. A diver suspended in midair. A flock of pigeons rising in the snow. The stillness of a lobster boat and a man and dog on a paddleboard in calm ocean waters at sunset. Portland Press Herald photographers uncover unexpected beauty every day. They show us the profound beauty of connection. The tenderness of a loving husband and his wife, who is in hospice, celebrating their anniversary. The resilience of families who have traveled from a world away trying to make a new home in a strange land together. The collective grief of a community experiencing enormous loss after an act of previously unimaginable violence. It is a great privilege to photograph the people and stories of Maine. Here is some of our best work from 2023.

  • Published
    December 26, 2023

    2023 Photos of the Year: Maine in mourning

    On the night of Oct. 25, minutes after Lewiston police began fielding calls about multiple shootings in the city, the newspapers of the Maine Trust for Local News mobilized as one newsroom to learn everything we could about what would turn out to be the deadliest shooting in Maine history. On that night, 18 people were killed and 13 injured and a manhunt was launched to find the shooter. Photographers from the Sun Journal, the Kennebec Journal and the Portland Press Herald fanned out across the area to document it all – the fear, the shock, the anger, the manhunt, the extraordinary outpouring of shared grief and pain. This is some of their best work from those dark days.

  • Published
    October 6, 2023

    In photos: Looking back as summer draws to a close

    Some people call it ‘local summer,’ the period after many summer tourists have gone but before foliage tourists arrive. The sun sets earlier and school has started, but the days are still warm – and often glorious. Portland Press Herald photographers capture its essence in this photo gallery.

  • Published
    September 10, 2023

    Porchfest fills Portland’s Deering Center neighborhood with music

    Photos by staff photographer Derek Davis.

  • Published
    August 18, 2023

    Check out all the photos of Maine’s team at the Little League World Series

    Photos by staff photographer Derek Davis.

  • Published
    August 6, 2023

    In photos: A gloomy start, then glory in our photo gallery of summer 2023

    June was gloomy and gray, with almost daily rain. July was warmer, with wet weekends and high humidity – not the perfect New England weather we dream about all year. But the sun showed its lovely face as August arrived, and the glorious days of summer began again.

  • Published
    June 20, 2023

    In photos: See the action from Tuesday’s high school baseball and softball state championships

    Check out some of our favorite images from Tuesday’s high school Class A, C and D baseball and softball state championships.

  • Published
    June 14, 2023

    In photos: See the action from some of Wednesday’s high school playoff games

    Check out some of our favorite images from Wednesday’s high school baseball and softball playoff games.

  • Published
    June 12, 2023

    In photos: Spring is in the air

    For gardeners, it’s tilling the ground anew. For beachgoers, it’s the first bracing dip of the year. For anglers, it’s the first bite from a striper along Maine’s warming coast. And for the Press Herald’s photographers, it’s a little of everything as they capture spring across southern Maine.