Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dillon Williams. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dillon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

It was 2022, and I was sitting in Brooklyn Bridge Park, waiting to meet up with a friend. At the time, I was preparing for my sophomore year of college and enjoying my last days of summer vacation before starting school again. On that day, I took one of the biggest risks in my life by creating a photography page. At that point, I had learned how to operate a camera, but I wouldn’t have called myself a photographer by any stretch of the imagination. To be honest, I was a bit scared because I was creating something from scratch. It was a huge test in self-belief that I could go out and make a page that was dedicated to this new art form that I had for myself.

One of the phrases that stuck out in my mind came from my high school teacher when he said that going away to college is a place where you can rebuild your reputation from the ground up. His words stuck with me because I knew how true it was. I went to Penn State, and none of my high school friends went with me, so I truly had a clean slate to be whatever I wanted to be. So, when I made my Instagram page, I decided to commit to being a photographer even if I didn’t necessarily feel ready at that time.

Creating that page has brought me to heights that I would have never imagined. Whether it was photographing world-renowned musicians, D1 Sports Programs, or just my own creative shoots, taking that risk to chase what I was passionate about has given me some amazing experiences. It has also helped me grow more confident in other aspects of my life, as I had proof of pouring into something and having it work out for me. When it comes to taking risks, I would always advise anyone who’s on the edge to always go for it because the experience of trying and potentially not having it work out is so much better than not trying at all.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Dillon Williams, and I am a 22-year-old freelance photographer and videographer from Brooklyn, New York. I recently graduated from Penn State University, and I am the owner of a freelance content creation business called “Dillon Styles Visuals.” From a photography perspective, I specialize in concert, sports, and portrait photography. From a videography perspective, I consider myself a documentary filmmaker who can edit and shoot as well. I got into my business due to a mix of passion and exposure to new experiences during my college life. Photography and videography are two things that I enjoy deeply, and I pride myself on improving my skills as much as I can.

In terms of what sets me apart from others, I truly believe that I have an eye for composition. With my background in videography, I study moving compositions a lot, and that skill translates over to my photography as well. One of the things that I am most proud of is my consistency. I have always strived to be consistent in showing up for myself and producing work that I am proud to share. When I look back at my portfolio, I think back to all of the moments where I’m proud of how I did. The main thing that I want a new person to my work to know is that everything I create is out of pure passion, and I have given my 100% effort into it. Creating fulfills me in a way that few other things can, and I hope that reflects in my work.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or a creative is being able to capture memories. Specifically, in my case as a photographer, every picture that I take is a memory that will live on forever. Growing up, I used to hate taking pictures but as I got older, I realized the fun in capturing memories that people can show their kids years down the line. It truly is one of my favorite things in the world to do.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn is that numbers mean everything. The backstory is that I would post on Instagram, and I would hide the number of likes that my post would get so that the public couldn’t see them. Looking back on it now, it seems so trivial to do, but at the time, I was really concerned with the performance of my work. But over time, I realized that the only number that mattered was mine. If I truly liked what I made, it didn’t matter what the numbers on Instagram looked like as long as I was happy with it. I truly try to keep that mindset with me at all times as I continue to create content for myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dillonstylescreative.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dillonstyles_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillon-williams-58845b192/

Image Credits

1st Photo: Taken by Liana Simmons
4th Photo: Taken by Hailey Stutzman