Meet JD Davis, PalmTreeJD of Parallels Media in North Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to JD Davis.

JD, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Since as far back as I can recall, I’ve enjoyed taking pictures and capturing footage. My family would take 3-4 disposable cameras whenever we went to the zoo or traveled. My grandfather had an old film Canon from his Vietnam tour that had shots he would hide from me, and my father kept a VHS recorder that contained every single Christmas on it. Capturing moments and telling it through imagery has always been a major influence on my life.

As I grew older, I became further influenced by watching bootleg DVDs, old film, and music videos. I loved the way directors like Spike Lee & Martin Scorsese could intertwine such heavy messages inside the tiniest of details. I’ve always had a knack for turning ordinary shots into statement pieces, and derived some inspiration from artists like Chema Madoz or Arnold Bocklin. Their visuals have inspired me to create work that is beyond the ordinary. I became fascinated with the idea of doing the same.

From there on, whenever I wasn’t playing sports, I would be trying to teach myself as much as I could about photography/cinematography. There was so much free knowledge around me that I knew I could at least get decent at it. I joined yearbook in high school so I could begin to practice on more expensive cameras and engross myself in new editing softwares and technological advances beyond what I had ever gotten to experience before. In the summer when I was home from college, I worked at a warehouse and would have my company’s photographer critique my work. I used every opportunity I could to perfect my craft and get feedback from professionals. It was an old dusty assembly line putting together lockers, but I knew he shot for magazines in the 80-90s so I always wanted his eye.

In 2016, I started Parallels Media with a buddy of mine, Larry Rhinehart, from college. The rest is history.

Has it been a smooth road?
There’s always struggles in anything worth getting to. I’d say in this regard, one of the biggest has really been trying to make a name for myself in this industry as an Afro-Latino male. This lane is kind of weird actually, because really, if you have enough money or the right contacts, you can quickly be referred as “one of the best” shooters in the area without any real work. It definitely means you have to constantly study your craft, though. I took a ton of “pro bono” work to build a portfolio of work before I could start landing real corporate/gov projects.

Parallels Media – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Parallels Media is a production company that specializes in Brand Development and Storytelling. We provide event coverage and creative media production for various purposes. We’ve had the pleasure to work with organizations such as McDonald’s All American committee, Pepsi, 7 Tequilas, and GA & SC Board of Education. Parallels provides high-quality content creation to establish strong brand awareness for an artist, influencers, and small businesses alike.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Atlanta is the place where you can be whoever you want to be with the right grind. Opportunity awaits around every corner in this city.

Contact Info:

• Website: ParallelsMedia.Com
• Phone: 6787645314
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @PalmTreeJD @Parallels
• Twitter: @PalmTreeJD | @Parallels_Media

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