Photo by Steve Thackston
Donte Brown has never been afraid to take the big shots – in life, and from behind the camera.
He came to Georgia State with an interest in photography, and will graduate with his degree in film and video and a professional portfolio filled with portraits of Grammy winners and commercial work.
Brown has been hired to shoot for Sprite, Journey’s clothing apparel and Atlantic Records. He was hired recently by Billboard magazine to photograph hip hop star and former OutKast member Big Boi at the legendary Stankonia Studios.
“It was amazing,” Brown said of the shoot. “What Big Boi did for the Atlanta music industry is exactly what I hope to do with my photography.”
Brown moved to Atlanta from Philadelphia at age 11 and didn’t figure he’d attend college. He took his first big chance when applied to Georgia State after “hearing about it and seeing it everywhere,” he said.
“It was a sign,” he said, laughing. “Georgia State produces who I think are some of the makers of the city, the influencers of the city.”
He landed a student assistant position with Public Relations and Marketing Communications, and he’s photographed many of the subjects in the university’s Facebook and Instagram posts. He’s also been on the other side of the camera, modeling for dozens of the university’s photo and video shoots.
His next big step is north to New York City after graduation to further hone his craft, but Brown’s grand plan is to come back down to Atlanta after a few years.
“Atlanta is moving towards being a media hub like New York and Los Angeles,” he said, “and I want to be a part of that process.”
