About Me

My name is Will, and my brand is 'Stay Sharp'. I am 30 years old, and I have been photographing the world around me since I was a child. This is my photography story.

As long as I can remember, I have always been around cameras and photographers. My grandfather earned his living photographing high school sports, senior portraits, and weddings throughout central Mississippi. His self portrait, smoking a tobacco pipe and looking ever so dapper, is etched deeply in my memory. It is from his life and work, that my roots in photography were formed.

For me, it began with the Kodak Fun Saver and the Fujifilm Quick Snap disposable cameras. When I was just a cub scout, my mom and dad would usually pick up one of these (at the time) two dollar disposable cameras, and send me off to weekend camp-outs and summer camps with it for me to, well...save the fun, of course.

On Christmas day 2005, my brother, who was avidly into photography, gifted my mother with a 'Panasonic Lumix' digital camera. This was huge for me. Mom used the camera for a few months, until I got my hands on it- she never got it back. Sorry, mom.

You've got to understand, this camera had a 'Leica' lens. A Leica, did you hear me? For photography heads, this is a big deal. On top of that, it shot 720p video quality. Wow! Back then this was cutting edge technology. This camera is the one that did it. I knew I was hooked. I never wanted the fun to end. Between that digital camera, and the SONY VHS video camera my dad had lying around, I went on to make the most wicked neighborhood skateboarding montages my crew of friends had ever seen.

In 2010, my tenth grade year, a mentor from church and I bonded over photography. Since 2005 I had still been shooting with that Panasonic camera- you know, the one with the Leica lens. I carried it everywhere I went, shooting everything I could, all the time. On my birthday, this dear friend and mentor to me, decided he would give me his Canon Rebel XT. Out of the goodness of his heart, he single handedly kickstarted my obsession and drive for photography. This is when I learned how to really control the camera and shoot with exponentially more intention; and it is to him I am eternally grateful.

In 2020, my wife and I moved from Starkville, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee. It was then I decided to turn my long-time hobby and passion into a career. Today, my professional work is focused on portrait photography. I have begun to use my skills as a portrait photographer to step into the wedding arena- a daunting, high pressure, high stakes, job, but a job I deliver on nonetheless. I am always eager to grow and eager to learn. I love what I do, and love the people I meet along the way. I take great pride in photographing every person and subject my camera is pointed to.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story.

As always,

Stay Sharp.