Born and raised in the Baraboo Hills of central Wisconsin, Derrick Mayoleth’s connection to the landscape runs deep. His photographic journey began in the late 1970s with his father’s Minolta film camera, growing through years of experience guiding and working at local landmarks like Wollersheim Winery, the International Crane Foundation, and Devil’s Lake State Park.
These years of guiding visitors through the region’s natural wonders led to founding Skillet Creek Media in 1996, creating the popular regional resource DevilsLakeWisconsin.com. His commitment to sharing daily photographs on social media since 2009 has become a driving force, pushing him outdoors to discover the beauty in each day, even on those days when the couch calls.
While Derrick approaches photography as a storyteller rather than a traditional photographer, his work reveals a deeper truth. In his processing, color becomes an emotional palette – not always bound by photographic ‘reality,’ but instead capturing the feeling of being present in that moment. Like a familiar scent triggering a long-forgotten memory, each image aims to transport viewers not just to a place, but to an experience.
This emotional connection to landscape naturally intertwines with Derrick’s work as a musician and composer. His experience creating soundtracks for indie theatre productions has refined his sensitivity to how mood and atmosphere can transform a moment, whether captured in sound or image.
A lifetime of adventure has shaped his photographic eye. From circumnavigating Puerto Rico by sea kayak to trekking across European landscapes with his wife Sue, Devil’s Lake State Park’s Naturalist Educator, his extensive travels through National & State Parks, and international destinations have each enriched his artistic perspective. Yet it’s the dramatic weather and changing seasons of the Baraboo Hills that continually draw him back, where each image strives to capture not just what can be seen, but what can be felt in these extraordinary moments of light, color, and atmosphere.