Award-Winning photographer, videographer, and digital artist.
 

Derry Ainsworth is a British-born, internationally acclaimed photographer, videographer, and digital artist. After gaining his degree in architecture, he relocated to Hong Kong in 2014, working in the architectural sector for two years before leaving his corporate career to pursue visual storytelling full-time. Fascinated by the complex urban geometries and dizzying scale of his surroundings, he has now spent over a decade documenting the evolving narrative of Hong Kong.
 

As a self-taught practitioner across traditional and digital mediums, Derry's unique architectural lens and spatial awareness have earned him prominent brand representation, widespread global press, and collaborations with major international brands. His work creates a powerful dialogue between monumental urban scale and intimate, street-level human moments.
 

Publications: Highs & Lows
 

A crowning achievement of his career to date is the release of his acclaimed photography book, Highs & Lows: Unique Hong Kong Perspectives.

• The Book: The 190-page hardcover volume documents an 11-year visual journey from 2014 to 2025.

  Derry Ainsworth.

• The Theme: The book contrasts elevated views (the "highs") with atmospheric, human-centric street scenes (the "lows"), serving as a visual archive of a rapidly changing city.

• Reception: The book features images that have collectively won 53 international awards. The first edition sold out within a month of its November 2025 release, prompting a highly sought-after second edition in April 2026. National Geographic Traveller famously hailed the book as a "love letter to Hong Kong".
   

   

Notable Accolades & Competitions

Derry currently holds 53 international awards and competition placements for his photography work.
 

Derry’s striking perspectives and atmospheric street captures have dominated recent international photography circuits. His major 2025 and 2026 titles include:
 

• Architecture Photographer of the Year (2026) – European Photography Awards
   

• Architecture Photographer of the Year (2026) – MUSE Photography Awards

   

• 1st Place Winner, Architecture Category (2026) – Golden Shot International Photography Awards

   

• 1st Place Winner (2025) – Life Framer "Cities" Competition (for the work 'Containment')

   

• Double Gold Winner (2025) – New York Photography Awards (Fine Art Architecture for 'Concrete Horizons'; Architecture for 'Containment')
   

• Silver Award (2025) – Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA) (Architecture for 'Containment')

   

• 3rd Place (2025) – World Street Photo Awards (for 'Black Rainstorm') and Chromatic Photography Awards (Cityscape)
   

• Outstanding Award (2023) – “My China Story” International New Media Competition (for 'Legoland')

   

• Finalist & Merit Honors – LCE Photographer of the Year (2026), Photography Foundation Awards (2025), and Annual Photography Awards (2025).
  
   

Curation & Digital Art Pioneering
 

Beyond behind-the-lens production, Derry is a prominent figure and pioneer in the digital fine art and curatorial space:
 

• Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong (2026): Derry curated and headlined the high-profile group photography showcase, 'Pieces of Hong Kong'. The exhibition featured six prominent local artists and was designed to break down gallery elitism, championing photography as an accessible and highly collectable art form.

   

• Digital Art Fair Asia (2021): Served as Creative Director for the pioneer digital art event, managing the overarching design and curation of the landmark exhibition while participating as a featured artist.
   

• Industry Judging: Invited as an expert panel judge for high-level creative events, including the Henderson Land 'Realising Your Imagination Competition' (2023).

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Solo & Group Exhibitions
 

Derry has participated in more than 20 notable fine art exhibitions, bridging the gap between traditional print and digital-native mediums:

• Pieces of Hong Kong (2026) – Group Show / Curator, Affordable Art Fair, HKCEC

   

• Colours of Hope (2025) – Children of the Mekong Charity Exhibition

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• Collected Memories (2023) – Solo Exhibition with Awethentic Studios, Soho House Hong Kong

  Derry Ainsworth

   

• Sotheby’s Spring Contemporary Auction (2022) – His acclaimed work 'COLLECTED MEMORIES 007' was successfully auctioned during the Spring contemporary online sales.
   

• M+ Museum Facade (2022) – The celebrated 'COLLECTED MEMORIES' multi-medium series, commissioned by Samsung and the HK Tourism Board, was projected onto the iconic M+ Museum facade.
   

Global Press & Media
 

Derry’s perspective on urban topographies has captured the attention of world-class publishing houses and broadcasting networks:
 

• National Geographic Traveller: Derry was commissioned for a major 2025 editorial assignment to document Hong Kong's cultural breadth - from Mong Kok street food and Cheung Chau cycling to aerial helicopter shoots.He was subsequently featured again in the March 2026 issue, showcasing his book Highs & Lows.

   

• Cover Imagery: His piece 'Open Shop' was selected as the formal cover image for the New England Reviewpublication (2025).

   

• Featured Publications: Bloomberg, CNN, Vogue, Forbes, TimeOut, The Telegraph, South China Morning Post (SCMP), Travel + Leisure, and All About Photo.

   

• Broadcast & Radio Media: Featured on-air guest appearances on TV channels ViuTV and Fantastic TV, as well as regular cultural and arts commentary on RTHK Radio 3 (CultureZine).
   

Commercial Portfolio & Educational Initiatives
 

Commercially, Derry delivers specialised event photography, and high-end video documentaries across the Asia-Pacific region:
 

• Luxury & Events: Media production for the Tatler Ball Singapore (2025), Tatler Ball Macao (2023), Tatler XFest (featuring David Beckham and Lionel Messi), and the World’s 50 Best Bars events.

   

• Corporate & Architecture: Creative partnerships with WSP Asia, Moody's (Asia Emerging Markets Summit), and commercial visual campaigns for Deliveroo, Travel + Leisure, and Expomobilia (building Art Basel HK).

   

• Documentary Videography: Multi-year production of international academic video documentaries for the Bai Xian Asia Institute (BXAI) Summer Programs across Tokyo, Shanghai, and Taipei.
   

• Education & Masterclasses: Committed to nurturing the next generation of visual artists, Derry frequently leads professional photography masterclasses in tandem with the Hong Kong Palace Museum and SCMP Learn.

   

Day to day, whether he is capturing urban geometries or exploring hidden architectural symmetries with his camera in hand, Derry remains dedicated to finding unexpected moments of beauty within the vibrant, shifting fabric of the cities he explores.