John Dietrich grew up in the West Midlands area of Britain surrounded by heavy industry and industrial wasteland. It was in these open-cast mining areas that he sought solace and escapism from the humdrum and banality of his immediate environment.

As a teenager without any clear direction, Dietrich experimented and excelled in Art and Music. "As a child I hardly ever read books, my perception of the world was mainly through the distorted medium of television and cinema. I was affected by such films as The Third Man and Odd Man Out, both in black and white and directed by Carol Reed. I fed off such cinematic images which defined my perception of female beauty. I was intoxicated by the female form and becoming a fashion and beauty photographer was a way of satisfying an addiction - especially after being inspired by films like Blow up and being seduced by Bailey's portrayal of the archetypal fashion photographer".

John Dietrich has subliminally shaped the direction of erotic photography. He is one of the most widely emulated photographers working today. He does not neatly fit any specific category and prefers not to over-analyse on his style which is a fusion of fashion, beauty, fetish and glamour. Tim Woodward, publisher of Skin Two magazine, coined the phrase "fetish-glamour" to describe Dietrichs work which is an oversimplication. Many of Dietrich's iconic images posses a quality reminiscent of the fashion pages of Vogue, possibly as a result of his beginnings in fashion photography.

While some of his work may be viewed as controversial it is also romantic and intense.The narrative nature of his imagery tend to have a sado-masochistic subtext. Unafraid of pushing the boundaries, the self-styled Libertine takes a somewhat dilettante approach to his work.  He follows no set rules preferring to allow his creative energy to flow spontaneously in a natural direction, unfettered by preset goals.