Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Terrance Donte’. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Terrance, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.
Growing up I was always entrepreneurial, whether cutting grass in the neighborhood or shoveling snow. I like having my own money and being independent. I cant say I had any particular goals like “when I grow up” I want to be this? My creativity I would say is what saved my life as soon I began to tap into to that energy and express myself through dancing and rapping. I took Security Shop in High School and part of the security class was photography so we had a darkroom and had access to cameras, so that is were I got introduced to the process of photography. I feel photography and music tell a story so I have always been intrigued by the techniques of using light, speed, shadows and textures to create moving imagery. As my confidence was building and my experiences began to get bigger, I was still not really focused on being a productive citizen and on my 21st birthday my apartment was raided and I was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver, I was on bail for 2 years fighting that case. I learned a lot during that time and that situation made me reflect on myself and set goals to be more positive. I beat my case around July of 96′ and I said to myself I got to start thinking about my future. So I told my music team in 6 months if we do not get a distribution deal I am going to school for Network Administration. That was over 20 years ago and today I can honestly say I have accomplished some amazing things and worked with some great people that led me to launching my photography business. The 1st thing I did before launching was I went back to school and got a degree in Business Administration so that I learned how to properly run a business. That includes learning Accounting, Marketing, Sales and E Commerce. I already had good foundation in computers and graphic design so that definitely helped. I officially filed my in LLC in 2021 and in that same year year I was awarded a grant from The United States Chamber of Commerce to Back Black Business. I was able purchase the latest Canon R5 camera with my grant. Receiving that grant felt amazing and I was honored and blown away that I actually received funds to help me build my business.
Terrance, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hello my name is Terrance Donte I am Commercial, Fashion and Editorial photographer as well as creative clothing designer for Porushe Kurabu by Terrance Donte’. My work has been featured in Vigour, Billy Blount, Maxi and Luxia Magazine. Photos are like windows so if a client is uncomfortable in the setting or the clothing it shows in the photo, that is why it is very important that the client is comfortable. My goal is to to bring out the “star-quality” in all our clients. I started out as a recording artist and music producer, and I often like to say Music, Fashion and Photography go hand in hand. When I was recording music having a great album cover was just as important as the music. So we scouted great locations and pulled the latest clothes for the shoot. During that time I was more in front of the camera, and I always felt I had a superb sense of style. My 1st photoshoot with my group I picked and purchased the shirts that we wore by African American College Alliance. Which is a good point to mention because having the correct color scheme, seeing what colors work with different skin tones, and understanding the individual you are dressing you have to pay attention. So I was always hands on with our projects and that gave me the confidence to begin working with other artist. As technology advanced and become cheaper it only made sense to start learning how some of this equipment works. So around 2010 I started doing some music consulting and focusing more on video and photography, for other recording artist. I actually started out “Team Nikon” (Brand Loyalty Statement) but I soon purchased the Canon T2i because of its video capabilities, shooting 1080p video and 18megapixels photos both of these numbers represent resolution or image quality. So I had the Canon T2i and I purchased a 50mm 1.8 lens which they call the “Nifty-Fifty” because it is cost around $120 bucks but the photo and video quality is amazing. I used this camera kit for about 2 years and really got the opportunity to engage with people and build my clientele shooting photos and videos for commercial clients and other music artist. I also spent a lot of time building up my skills learning my equipment and related software. I started video editing with Apple iMovie and photography editing with Adobe Lightroom. I now use Adobe Creative Cloud Lightroom, Photoshop as well as Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro X. This year I had the opportunity to shoot a campaign for Lancaster Luxe Lashes the images produced from this project are now showcasing on a digital billboard in the Park City Mall in Lancaster, Pa. Utilizing my experience I follow the same process when putting together a photoshoot, I look at the individuals style and taste so that I can personalize the experience, using my photographic eye as a way to uniquely capture and share the true essence and energy of people, places and things. Lastly I would like to dedicate this interview to my dad Terrance Samuel who passed away Sept. 14 this for you pop thank you for always encouraging me to create.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I would say my goal is to make my clients feel great about themselves, their brand and the products they deliver. Having confidence in what you represent and setting yourself apart by having personalized and unique professional quality images are a great way to do that. Photography and Video are powerful mediums that help you convey an authentic message that resonates with your audience. So the driving creative force for my projects is delivering breath taking, impactful pieces of art in photo and visual form.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice
Technology has always been inspiring and influential in my work whether picking new camera gear or designing clothes with the latest fabrics or printing technology. NFT’s and the block chain platform has really revolutionized private secure transactions, security and ownership tracking so I see NFT’s as an extension of the creative process and the opportunities it brings will be exciting to see what will be next for creatives to play with.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.terrancedonte.com
- Instagram: @terrance.donte
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Porushekurabu
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFnUAC9QZIhYxxI8sLAujgQ
- Other: @porushekurabu www.porushekurabu.com