We were lucky to catch up with Abdul-Amir Williams recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Abdul-Amir thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

In life I feel as if there are many risks you have to take in order to reach different levels. My journey into photography is no different. From the very beginning it has been risk after risk in hopes of improving the craft God has allowed me to maneuver in Kansas City with. Some of them include the gear I’ve chosen to have on hand which in turn has been a solid investment in the quality that I am able to put out from session to session. Thinking about certain lenses and camera rigs, it’s no secret they cost money but I’m truly blessed to be able to get what I need in order to carry out the ideas I create for my clients. Just having the confidence to continue shooting in a city that I wasn’t raised in has allowed me to grow in many areas that I would take as a risk every time when presented.

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 Abdul-Amir Williams, i’m currently residing in Kansas City, Missouri but I was born and raised in Albany/Leesburg, Georgia about two hours south of Atlanta. I got into photography mainly from hanging around friends that were also creating at the time and that helped push me into taking a risk on myself creating from what I imagine in my mind for whatever the occasion calls for. I typically shoot both digital and film photography depending on the situation at hand and I think the viewpoint and way I conduct myself with clients during sessions to get them to become comfortable in front of the lens sets me apart from others. I’m honestly proud of my ability to stay diligent in this lane and learn along the way the way of conducting a business and scaling it even further from where it originally started from. I would want my clients to know that I take pride in helping individuals become their best version of themselves in front of the camera while also bringing out unknown parts of them in the same process as well.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Truthfully I feel like I had a decent presence on social media already just from my personality and the photos I took of the life I live. When I got more involved with photography I believe the quality kinda spoke for itself and God allowed it to pass on to others who may have needed a shoot or just wanted to create based off what they saw from me. I would say to anybody looking to build that presence honestly to just be yourself and stay in the lane you’re in currently, it’s easy to tell when you take from other creatives but at the end of the day it will never last.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to basically unlearn the idea of just being good at something without putting in any work behind the scenes. It is very easy for anybody to pick up a camera but I think what sets apart those individuals from storytellers is the ability to take the craft seriously and stay consistent. Consistency is the only thing that will take whatever you do to more levels because in the process of it all you learn more about yourself and the capabilities you can reach.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: _amirabdul

Image Credits
Carl Glass Jennifer Gurrola Sequoya Guinn Shayna Strahm Maya Charles Hemar Randall