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Meet Jamal Williams

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

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My family has always valued pictures. My father and uncles owned higher end cameras but I was never allowed to use those. Instead we had access to a wide assortment of cheap virtually disposable cameras. The house I grew up in is full of picture albums and drawers full of lose photos. It wasn’t until I was near my 30’s that I started looking to have a more serious interest in photography. Shooting digital was really the key factor in my growth as a photographer. Like a lot of people, I just took pictures and was happy if it turned out well. When things didn’t go well I’d try to figure out how to fix it. I’d walk around downtown and in parks and snap off hundreds of photos a day. Over time I figured out what worked and what didn’t and the ratio of bad photos to good ones improved. In 2013 I moved to New Orleans for 3 years and that was the environment that I really honed my skills as a photographer. Every weekend there was a second line or parade with people in beautiful costumes putting on a show in the street. The catch was that as a photographer the only thing you could control was your body and your camera. You didn’t get to pick the lighting and the subjects weren’t going to stop and let you set up your shot. You had to learn to spot the opportunity coming, adjust your settings and fight for position all while literally walking backwards in a crowd of people for miles at a time.

Please tell us about your art.
EVERYDAY BEAUTIFUL is my motto, a reminder and the way I try to approach my photography. I’ve always been an observant person. I would notice a bug on a leaf, the shadows on the ground or interesting scene out the window. I use my photography as a way to preserve and share all those little discoveries I’ve made over the years. Over the past eight years the look of my photos has changed as I learned new skills and techniques but the one thing that remained the same is my love for the finding those beautiful moments.

EVERY DAY a countless number of beautiful moments go by. The Sun rises and sets while people meet for the first time and say goodbye for the very last. I try to use my photography to save the essence of these moments. When you see one of my images, I want you to get a feeling for that moment.

EVERYDAY things are often overlooked in this age of social media and lifestyle branding. While tropical beaches, stunning vistas and people with perfect cloths and model like looks are undeniably beautiful, I find that the mundane things seen in a new light are often the most impactful. The store clerks smile, a puddle in the street or a clump of grass blowing in the wind can become something amazing.

I take photos that are EVERYDAY BEAUTIFUL.

We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
Go to meetups, join the photography Facebook groups and when you see another artists work that you like, let them know.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
www.jamalwilliams.com or @jamalwilliamsphoto on IG.

Follow me on social media, share my work with friend or book a shoot.

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Meagan Black, Sarah Guerra, Nina Antionette, Dominique Haller, Grace Ojionuka, James L Nichols II , Einrique Abulume

Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

1 Comment

  1. Diane Molano

    April 26, 2018 at 8:26 pm

    I’ve had the privilege to meeting Jamal at a photoshoot and have also had the opportunity to shoot side by side with him. He carries himself very, very professional & is a very talented photographer.

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