Ellis Williamson of Ellis Williamson Photography in Durham, N.C., began his career in photography thinking that it would be a good way to earn some additional income on top of his job. However, he quickly realized that photography was his true passion and has been shooting professionally for the last 25 years. "I fell in love with making captivating images," Williamson says of his decision to become a professional photographer. And when it dawned on him that photography was "more than simply taking pictures," he had one more strong reason to open his photography business.
"As photographers, we are part of the history-making process for every person that sits in front of our cameras," Williamson explains. "Photography is so very important because it pauses our subject in time and records their very existence in history, which goes way beyond just making money."
Williamson started out as an architecture photographer, but he has since specialized in
wedding and maternity photography--"I chose these areas, but looking back, I think they chose me," he adds. And while he has been shooting weddings for over 20 years now, he says that he must constantly evolve to stay ahead of the competition."The biggest challenge I face is re-inventing myself," says Williamson. "As technology changes, I must change also. In order to stay fresh about what I do, I try to surround myself with people who not only think outside of the box, but who see no box. I strive to keep an open mind and try new things."
If you want to learn some of the tips that have helped Williamson capture great images and stay in business for over 20 years, don't miss his "Fill Flash On Location" Super Monday class on Saturday, October 23rd.
Williamson will help you conquer on-camera flash at any time of the day with tips on posing and selecting locations. His goal with this class? "Every photographer will gain additional confidence in using their flash equipment in any situation they find themselves in," says Williamson. "We will make fill flash so natural that it will seem virtually undetectable!"
Learn more about Williamson's class and browse more Super Monday classes (in more locations) at www.ppa.com/supermonday.Read more about Williamson here.
Super Monday is an educational program sponsored by PPA every spring and fall. These daylong, interactive workshops are conducted in locations around the country, allowing PPA members to earn merits for sharing their craft and enabling all photographers to learn new skills and develop professional networking contacts.
ALL IMAGES © ELLIS WILLIAMSON
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