Derek Blanks

About

Celebrity photographer, creative director, music video director, and social media influencer known for his high gloss portraits of celebrities and his iconic "Alter Ego" photo series featuring major stars. He is also known for having shot campaigns and covers for major brands and publications including ESSENCE, BET, Sony Music, Ebony, People, Billboard, and CoverGirl. He is further known for his Instagram account @mrdblanks where he shares his photography and behind-the-scenes creative work with over 260,000 followers.

Before fame

He attended the Academic and Performing Arts Complex and Murrah High School. He earned a scholarship to the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1996, where he graduated magna cum laude in 2000 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. He initially worked in design and illustration including book illustration, commercial design, and freelance work for The Baltimore Sun, before transitioning into full-time portrait and celebrity photography. He started his "Alter Ego" photo series in 2009. His photo series went viral after he collaborated with NeNe Leakes by photographing the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2009.

Trivia

He is especially known for his Alter Ego portrait series which has included stars like Chaka Khan, Taraji P. Henson, Snoop Dogg, Janelle Monae, Faith Evans, Brandy, and Angela Bassett. He won Recorded Music Packaging of the Year at the Stellar Gospel Music Awards for his work on Tasha Cobbs Leonard's album Passion. Pursuit in 2018.

Family life

He was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi.

Associated with

He has directed and photographed several major projects with Missy Elliott.