Filmmaker and photographer, Rock Williams grew up in the poor Dallas suburb of oak cliff. His childhood was rough, but the hard times and abuse helped to shape the visual storyteller. As Rock has said:
"Some kids were in violent gangs, others were thieves. I found solace in my Star Wars toys, creating an escape. One world where I had control. A world of fantastic fantasy and hope...and I never left."
Working several years in the Texas Music scene and radio, Rock was encouraged to never return to the "real world". He left the music business after falling in love with his wife. Having a soul mate he could be himself with helped heal many emotional scars from a violent childhood. Healing, growing, and encouraged to be emotionally honest, to pursue his deepest dreams, he entered the arts. He began with acting, then climbed into the directors chair within 4 years and took on filmmaking with a passion, with his debut film, By Man's Hand, winning "Audience Choice for Best Short film" at the BareBones International Film Festival.
Through filmmaking, Rock was introduced to many technical aspects of the filmmaking process. One that repeatedly drew his attention, was the camera. He listened to an amazing, young, indie filmmaker, Jason Von Godi and started learning. With the backing and encouragement of his family, Rock had a Canon DSLR in hand and knew it was his key to visual storytelling, capturing a creating moments through photography, just another way to tell a story...and less editing.
Rock found photographic influence in the late Richard Avedon, Gordon Parks, and Dorothea Lange. More current, he's studied through CreativeLive, learning from multi-award winning photographers as Peter Hurley, Roberto Valenzuela, Scott Robert Lim, Sue Bryce and Jeff Rojas. Additionally, he secretly stalks the amazing work of Nashville's Joseph Llanes and Jeremy Cowart. Rock has been a protege member of Peter Hurley's Headshot Crew and continues to study and learn volumes about photography, light, people and himself.
Rock specializes in headshots, portraiture and musicians photography, as well as writing & directing music videos.
