Life & Work with William Whitworth

Today we’d like to introduce you to William Whitworth.

Hi William, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
It all started with an email. I emailed my now mentor in early December of 2019, asking about an opportunity at the university’s marketing department’s photo studio. During that time, and a bit before, I had convinced my parents to split the cost of a Nikon D3500 with me.

My very first post was on December 26th, 2019 unedited and with my lovely sister as the model. I keep that picture up on my Instagram because it reminds me of how far I’ve come. And soon after Christmas, I was emailed back, but for a while, it seemed impossible to land an opportunity as a university photographer, so I showed up one day and told them I was ready to learn. That’s when I became truly immersed in the photography world; starting in the higher education industry.

I soon created a name for myself on the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi campus and started mainly capturing graduation sessions. Soon I was being referred by those graduates for couples sessions, events, and weddings! My first wedding created a domino effect it seemed, and once I put up the images I was getting requests to capture weddings or assist as a second shooter – which, if you know what that means – you know you’d take the opportunity. Outside of scheduled sessions, I enjoyed my time capturing pictures of nature and life. I kept falling in love with photography and after COVID my freelancing business WillxWhit Photography grew even faster.

I’ve had incredible experiences like capturing a music video on top of a rooftop of an old JC Penny’s Mall building; capturing catalog shots for a thrift store, and many more. It will be three years in December and I love where I am, and where my journey will go. I thank those who have supported me, those I’ve met, and those I will meet.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Truthfully, I have had a great journey, but every road has its bumps. One of the biggest struggles I face is when people undervalue my time as a photographer due to my age. Now, this isn’t always the case, but I work with a lot of college students.

I have encountered multiple times people believing that my pricing was not where it should be because of the number of years I have been freelancing, and my age, as well as people asking for discounts because we know each other. While it may not always be out of malice, it can be very hurtful and can make me second guess myself.

Luckily I have been reminded and supported by my community of creatives, and my mentor.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I love people and I love working with people. I capture graduations, couples, maternity, family, and weddings. I am known for capturing graduation pictures, where I originally started my photography journey at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. When I look back at my experiences and opportunities, I am proud of myself for taking that step into the photography world when I knew absolutely nothing.

I suited up and was ready for what was in store for me ahead. What sets me apart from others is the visions and stories created for the clients. I want to leave the client not only feeling and believing that they are photogenic but leave them with a story and a memory they can share with others.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My advice for those just starting is to know that they don’t have to have a niche figured out or what the future holds, whether pursuing it as a hobby, a career, or one that starts as a hobby and turns into a career. I recommend finding a community of creatives, photographers, videographers, etc.

They will be the ones to support you, teach you, and laugh with you. I can’t put all the advice I’d want to in this paragraph but one last thing I want to add is that don’t let others intimidate you with experience or technical words. You will gain knowledge on these as you progress in your learning. These are both things I wish I had known, but I can stand by all of this advice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wwhitworth.myportfolio.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/willxwhit?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/willxwhit/

Image Credits
Headshot taken by Nimsi Coronado