For the past decade, queer culture has become more widely accepted by people. In the Black community, black queer culture is not new, but it is unfamiliar to most. Jimmy Easton, the founder of Posterchild Media, has been using his platform to share an individual’s perspective from Generation Z.
Being a gay Black boy from Atlanta, Jimmy Easton has been illustrating a visual scene through his camera lenses. He showcases hip-hop, fashion, LGBT & ballroom culture, along with cosplay and other different intersections of black queer culture. Jimmy has built Posterchild Media to become an authentic outlet of expression to uplift others.
Their goal is to help people realize their potential and point them out to their true calling. By using different forms of art, such as music, photography, styling, Jimmy has allowed people to feel more empowered, confident, and free without the weights of competition and comparison. Doing so has made Posterchild Media one of the most unique brands.
Jimmy incorporates color in his works as he often looks for different perspectives to see people. The photographer uses his technique to shake up the status quo and change views of masculinity and self-reflection. Jimmy Easton enjoys experimenting and incorporating various visual arts forms like traditional mediums, digital photography, and photo manipulation. He tries to convey each piece as a different type of expression.
Throughout his entire life, the young photographer had always been passionate about all kinds of art. He attributes his composition style to the influence of video games he played growing up. Jimmy also had a knack for burning playlists on CDs and listening to them as if they were the soundtracks of his middle school life.
As he grew older, Jimmy would use music and visual arts as his escape. He always found himself on punishment and needed an outlet for his emotions. Jimmy’s father would help him find his love for photography when he brought Jimmy to work with him one summer. Being a photographer himself, Jimmy’s father had him learn the entire Adobe Lightroom software cover to cover. While it felt like punishment back then, Jimmy is grateful to have learned about the software that many professionals and magazines were using at that time.
It didn’t take long for him to put his knowledge to use as Jimmy found an internship at a photography studio. There he found more inspiration to pursue a career in photography. Jimmy and some of his fellow interns would find out they went to the same school and set up castings for different shoots all around the city. Dubbed “The Atlanta Experience,” the group generated a lot of buzz. By senior year, they would get invited for concert photography.
After graduation, Jimmy would apply for minor jobs in retail and movie theaters. While they never called him back, Jimmy tried out for CNN. He was surprised when they accepted him even though he had just finished high school. It was there that Jimmy found the experience and money he would later use to build Posterchild Media.
Since then, Jimmy Easton and Posterchild Media have been working with brands, promoting products, and bringing their visions to life. He has also partnered with music promoters looking to get something new to drive web traffic. Outside of photography, Jimmy is also a DJ, creative analyst, and entrepreneur. With Posterchild Media, he delivers his unique style and grace through each platform.
Jimmy Easton regularly posts Posterchild Media updates on Instagram. His portfolio can be found on his website.
Opinions expressed by NY Weekly contributors are their own.