We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful De’Arius Franklin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with De’Arius below.
De’Arius, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
My company is an extension of myself. Some of the things you see in my work such as minimalism and cleanliness is a direct reflection of me and my personal style whether it be fashion, art or design. I also find beauty in simplicity which is why I chose De’Arius Franklin Photo as my company name. My work often depicts that of simplicity while capturing the complexity of the different individuals in which I photograph. I could photograph five different subjects in the same way and every image would still tell a completely different story as we’re all one of a kind.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name name is De’Arius Franklin. I’m a 28 year old Portrait & Fashion Photographer currently based in Virginia, however I work all over the DMV area as well as New York City.
I first took interest in photography around 2009/2010, Freshman/Sophomore years of high school, which started as self portraits on my cell phone when Instagram had started. At that moment I still wasn’t thinking “photography”, I was more focused on editing and finding cool filters for my photos.
As time went on I did start to focus more on the photography aspect so eventually one Christmas I asked for an actual camera to be able to put out better quality photographs which was a result of my mom returning the iPod she gave me and getting me a camera instead. I slowly transitioned from self portraits to photographing friends and family for fun.
I graduated Lakeland High school in 2012 where I still had no idea what I wanted to do after graduation. I didn’t want to go to college just because “thats what you’re suppose to do” so I actually took a break while continuing to explore photography. Still not knowing that photography is an actual career because where i’m from outside of the doctor, lawyer, dentist or teacher route the unconventional jobs are basketball player or like a football player.
Two years later I discover this art school, The Art Institute of Virginia Beach. I apply and I actually get accepted, surprised and excited I was. By this time I had already chosen the the genre of photography I wanted pursue which was to continue with portraits but also photograph fashion.
Graduating The Art Institute in 2018, fast forward to 2023, I’ve developed this style of work has been said to be very clean, minimal with a hint of fine art.
A couple things that I feel set me apart from other creatives is my eye, attention to detail and my willingness to learn.
The main things I want potential clients/followers/fans to know about me/my brand/my work/ is that I am big on the saying, QUALITY OVER QUANTITY. Believe me when I tell you one AMAZING photograph will do a lot more for you than 20 mediocre photographs.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I believe non-creatives struggle to understand the journey as a creative is not smooth sailing. A roller coaster is the best comparison I can come up in regards to how the ups and downs are as a creative. The skills creatives have do not just accumulate over night. If you see a finished piece of work you’re intrigued by, understand that that is a result of research, long hours, self discipline, dedication and trial & error to name a few things. So no a photographer doesn’t JUST press a button, a painter doesn’t JUST throw paint on paper. Please respect all creatives and their time.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Honestly the best resource is actually being in the field. I feel there is so much you can learn on set that you won’t necessarily learn by going to school or watching a tutorial etc. So if you’re an upcoming artist I would suggest you find a way to get Behind the Scenes on these sets, assist photographers who inspire you, like put in the ground work and I promise you will learn so much that you can implement into your work or the way you do business. Not only will you learn but you also build relationships which is also very important.
Contact Info:
- Website: deariusfranklinphoto.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/deariusfranklinphoto
- Linkedin: linked in.com/deariusfranklin
Image Credits
Brandon Levy Rachel Vincent Shelby Davies Munira Zulka Baylee Shearer