J. Monroe BEYOND PHOTOGRAPHY

Celebrity Photographer and CEO of his own graphic design company, J. Monroe has pinpointed a lane for himself.

Dubbed the “One light king”, Monroe is known for capturing some of the most beautiful portraits of Black people.

His New York portrait exhibit featured carefully selected pieces from the body of work Monroe refers to as his love letters to Black people.

RAINE : What was the initial spark of creative inspiration that led to you pursuing a career inphotography and graphic arts?

MONROE : My mom was the initial spark that inspired me! Graphic design for me was the “gateway drug” that led to creating Monroe Media. I had always been a creative kid growing up, and always used my creativity to express myself in different capacities.

When I was around the age of 13, my mom had enrolled into college for web design, and as I was in her room one day I saw that she was using the program Photoshop. Seeing her design, manipulate, and use the laptop to create so many different designs made me want to imagine what I could make using the program.

After years of teaching myself the ways of Photoshop and incorporating my own photography into my graphics, I graduated from college and had a realizationwith all the experience I had accumulated myself, why not create a media company that could house all the talents that I had taught myself? Even better, work for myself!

RAINE : What are the qualities that make something especially photogenic?

MONROE : The word photogenic only speaks to someone being able to take a great picture. That’s all subjective to the person looking at the picture and how they see the person being photographed, which usually only focuses on what and who popular culture considers “attractive.” With that said, I believe the possibilities are endless on what can be considered photogenic. I think qualities that can help someone be more photogenic are lighting, composition, coloring, and poses that present the subject in the best way.