Meet Shannon Williams

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Williams.

Shannon, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I remember discovering the photographer, Jones Crow, through his work with Ariana Grande. The way he captured things blew my mind. I loved how each of his photos were always at the perfect angle with the perfect amount of lighting. He just knows how to capture a perfect amount of everything. I’ve always had an interest in photography when I was younger, but I never officially pushed myself to start taking photos until my sophomore year of high school. I was in one of my classes and a friend of mine was a musician. She asked me if I would be interested in taking photos of her and I did. The photos came out pretty good and I started to take photos of her from time to time. I noticed the more I practiced, the better I got. I eventually got asked to take photos of one of my close friends, Kinglsey, for his feature in a magazine. He told me his idea for the photoshoot, which was to have him and a group of our friends at the park just having a good time with each other.

When I finished editing the photos, I sent them to him immediately. We were both shocked at how the photos came out. He told me that I really have an eye for photography. The moment those photos were posted on Instagram, people loved them so much that they started to ask me if I could work with them. Once I got out of high school, that was when my work started to really reach other people that I didn’t even know. I began to work with those people and they would tell their friends about me. It was all like a web of connections that began to form. One day, Sapphire Adizes, followed me and liked a bunch of my work. I decided to DM him if he would be down to work on a shoot together. I didn’t expect anything back, but he responded saying that he loved my work and that he wants to do something together.

Because of that photoshoot, I gained the confidence to reach out to Unclear Magazine to do freelance work with them. Once they accepted me, I began to do one or two photoshoot for them for each issue. I will always be grateful that they gave me the chance to work with many artists, actors, and actresses who I still talk to even after working with them. After a few months of working with them, I reached out to Reignland Magazine via email asking if they needed freelance work to be done. Ella Rae, who is Reignland’s editor in chief, emailed me back saying that she wants me to be a part of the magazine. This led me to do my first ever magazine cover shoot. Until now, I’m shocked by the love people give me for my work. It’s weird having random people message me telling me that they are inspired by me and want me to help and teach them photography. Words can’t fathom how appreciative I am for everything.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not always been a smooth road, insecurities are a big factor for me. It’s hard being human. I am fortunate to be surrounded by many raw and talented creatives that are some of my closest friends. They’ve encouraged me to not give up on anything. I would doubt myself a lot sometimes. My friends always tell me that I tend to downplay my skills. Just like my friends, my dad and sister play a big part as well. They’ve always been my number 1 supporters. Whenever I would think negatively or find things too hard, they would just tell me to drive harder and that I have nothing to lose. I’m always working to get better, so I seek knowledge anywhere I can. It baffles me how those around me react to the pictures I take. I feel like I need more improvement but it makes me happy to see they believe in me. I’m growing to trust the process and appreciate the gifts I have in this life and to be a part of something a lot bigger than me. It’s very humbling.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I think my work not only shows how much I love doing what I do, but of how much I care about my craft. I care about how everything I do looks and what people will think of it. I think what makes me different is that I’m self-taught. Every aspect of the trade – from working on my craft, doing research, learning the business aspect, and developing my skills – I learned it all on my own. I ended up creating my own style and vision of how I see things. People get to see my point of view. Currently, I am focused on working on myself and my work. I’m taking advantage of this time to really explore different edits and ideas that I can use for future shoots. There are definitely things for me that are in talks and being planned, but with the state of the world it is still very up in the air. All we can do is hope for the best for everyone and everything.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had the chance to start over, I think I wouldn’t have done anything differently. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I wouldn’t change any part of my journey from the beginning up until now. I loved every part of having to start from teaching myself how to use a camera and going through the motions like every other creative, to working with magazines and constantly perfecting my craft. The struggles helped me become who I am as a person and as a photographer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://whannonsilliams.squarespace.com/
• Instagram: whannonsilliams

Image Credit:
Shannon Williams

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