Name: William Richards

Current Streak: 254

Joined 52Frames: January 1, 2016

Your “walk-around” gear right now:
Canon 5D M III with the 24-105mm, f/4 lens

The place you call home:
Albion, Michigan, USA

Your life in 30 words or less

30 words? Yikes. Retired special education teacher having taught for 38 years, widowed, father of 2 with 6 granddaughters. Currently pursuing my passion of photography, doing some senior portraits, maternity sessions and any other chance to photograph people.

Can you share 2 images, one from your past, and one more recent, that shows your evolution as a photographer?

What has been your favorite style of shooting lately?

I am still practicing my lighting in the studio, though the pandemic has greatly reduced the chances of a live model. But I love portrait work. Getting to know the subject, putting them at ease. I still have so much to learn about posing people, and groups, but I get the biggest sense of accomplishment when I can record “that smile,” and when my models tell me I made them look good. Hard to not get a huge grin when that happens.

What was the first photo you ever submitted to 52Frames?

What submission are you most proud of and why?

From this year’s challenges, week 31 “water.” Each element of the photo was chosen, from the fairy light with a speedlight tucked inside so it would be lit in the shot, to the “rain” from my neighbor spraying the hose and lit with another speedlight on camera right to make the drops pop. Several trips to the camera and back to see if I’d gotten “the shot,” and when it finally came out right I was smiling.

One tip you’d like to share?

Keep shooting every chance you get. Don’t be afraid to fail, as that’s how you learn. Failure is a critical part of learning. I keep repeating to myself “The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” My second favorite quote? “Chance favors the prepared mind.” Keep playing with your gear, keep practicing, so when that once-in-a-lifetime-shot presents itself, you’re ready.

Why is 52Frames meaningful to you?

I’ve said this so many times, and I never hesitate to repeat myself. 52Frames saved me. It kept my brain and my body connected when my world was turned upside down. It gave me a purpose to get back out into the world, when my purpose was gone. Because of 52Frames, my camera has taken me places I’d never dreamed. From a huge photography show in Phoenix with 500 professional photographers (only 50 of them were men, BTW.), to the Grand Canyon where I met a french photographer and captured the Milky Way for the first time, to Maine where I worked with real models in beautiful landscapes. And even getting a guided tour of a fancy resort in Asheville North Carolina. 52Frames has given me the world…..

To view William’s profile on 52Frames, click here: