Meet Tyree Williams | Creative Portrait Photographer & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tyree Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tyree, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think risk is often looked at as a bad thing. People hear that word and they automatically shudder or shy away from moving forward with anything associated with it. My perspective on the word risk is that it means investment and the only way to mitigate that risk is to put enough work in after the initial investment, that you constantly minimize the possibility of failure and maximize on the return. It wasn’t until I really embraced the fact that there is no such thing as a risk free business that my business really started to thrive. I bought that expensive camera, I took those expensive courses, I invested in my own studio. At the time I couldn’t afford any of those things but I knew myself and that if I ever came across a challenge that was too big for me, I’d always show up and do my best. So when it comes to risk, I welcome it because even if it doesn’t go the way I wanted it to go then I’ve learned a valuable lesson from a mistake I’ll never make again.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets me apart from others in my field is my ability to tap into my imagination and make it a tangible reality in a realistic way. Sure anybody could photoshop fire coming out of someone’s hand but why not use real fire? Why not draw on inspiration from the things around you? A lot of photographers use a mood board to convey the theme of a photoshoot and I feel like for me they hinder my creativity. I like to create based on what I see in my head without any outside interference. I got to where I am today by solely focusing on being better than myself every time at executing and trust me, it gets stressful at times. All of the time I put into being a photographer taught me that being original and innovative is the best organic way to grow your business.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend come into town we’re immediately going to Cleo’s Southern Cuisine for food as its the best soul food I’ve ever had in my life for sure. We would go around downtown to visit all of the stores and attractions just so I can show them Chicago isn’t as bad as it seems.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shout out my soon to be wife Nicole. When I didn’t have any assistants she was always willing to come along and pretend she knew what I was talking about when I’d describe what I needed her to do lol. She played a very important part in my success.

Website: www.tjwilliamsphotography.net

Instagram: instagram.com/tjwilliamsphotography

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TJWCreatographer/

Image Credits
Stacy, Kayla, Raffinae, Autumn, Erica, Jesse