Today we’d like to introduce you to Dwayne Williams.
Hi Dwayne, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, I always was fond of art especially drawing and music. It was easy for me to get lost in my creative atmosphere. As I got older I strayed away from the pencil and pad but gained an interest in photography. I loved the ideology and concepts that go into a photographer’s creative process. Unfortunately, due to financial struggles, etc., my dreams were halted. That was until June 5, 2018, when I was blessed with two miracles. I was granted the opportunity to buy my first camera ever the same day my first niece was born. From there, I self-taught myself the essentials to photography such as terminology, angle and lighting knowledge, etc. I started off just doing recreational photography but was quickly encouraged by peers to take my craft seriously. Since then I created my own photography company, Dwill Photography, specializing in but not limited to boudoir photography. With this newfound knowledge and passion, I later started my own modeling agency, The Charm Models.
When it came to music I took a liking into the creative process of making a song. I tried my luck in my earlier years, but didn’t have the patience. It wasn’t until my brother and I reunited in the summer of 2018 when the flame was rekindled. He gave me advice that was simple but stuck with me, “…Just tell your story to a beat.” This led to me recreationally writing songs as an alternative way to express myself and the things that were taking a toll on me, but never had intentions to record and release a song. As time went on my family started to encourage me to give a music career a shot, but I remained skeptical due to personal preferences. Eventually, I cracked, but not before self educating myself on as much industry knowledge as I could. This led to me starting the final piece to Out East Empires, Out East Records.
I named my company after the nickname for the side of town I am from. This came about because a lot of people loved to claim “Out East” while they were in high school, but once they left they forgot about us and don’t do anything to help out. It sucks because with everything being gentrified like it is, it’s only a matter of time before “Out East” is wiped out of history leaving only East Nashville. Me starting this label was to give our culture a voice and an outlet to express themselves at times when others won’t care to listen. I also wanted to start and have something to pass down through generations so they would never have to work for a single soul in their lives. We haven’t reached a year yet so there is still a lot of room for growth and opportunity to give back in more ways than ever, and we look forward to making a huge impact over the years.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There has definitely been an abundance of obstacles along this journey. Going into this field of business, recreationally or professionally, I would personally say the biggest obstacle is gaining credible trust. As a young black man, I’ve found it hard for people to trust my craft and I as a professional resource, especially when it comes to boudoir photography. I tend to not take it personally, because I understand that with a lot of smaller companies or start up companies it is hard to differentiate scams from those who are serious about their craft. Another big challenge is overcoming assumptions, and that’s with promoting and actual shoots. There are a lot of individuals who automatically assume the moment you stop them to promote that you are trying to come on to them. This makes it harder when it comes to promoting word to mouth in certain situations. My final challenge would be showing that my gravitation towards boudoir photography isn’t because of the exposure of the body but because I find art in the body no matter what the shape.
When it comes to the modeling agency I would say the biggest challenge is finding ladies who see the vision and are patient enough to watch the vision unfold. With this being a new company and not well-established things are taking off slower. I understand that because I’m willing to start from scratch doesn’t mean everyone is so I don’t take offense to ladies who leave the team. It makes it hard to get the groundwork going and actually learn, but doesn’t make it impossible. I just remain positive and stay true to my process and goals.
Finally, I would say as an independent artist the biggest challenge is finding your audience and someone who can capture your sound how you envisioned it on the pad. With finding your audience it’s more of coming to cope with the fact that the people that should support you most, don’t. Then taking that and finding the confidence to continue pushing and trying to gain that support from strangers. This becomes more of a mental obstacle because you have the occasional thought of “If they don’t support me, then why would strangers?”
I can honestly say, you can overcome every obstacle as long as you stay true to your goals, your process, and most importantly yourself. Eventually, the right people will start to surround you and those things that kept you up stressed late at night will seem like second nature. It’s all a marathon not a sprint.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I consider myself as a creator because I don’t limit myself to one skill set or field. I am a photographer, entrepreneur, artist, manager, songwriter, etc. Within my photography field, I specialize in boudoir photography and natural light photography. I favored more towards these categories because of the beauty in naturality. It’s almost like a rare trait to find anymore in a world where everything is fake or manipulated to make you feel a certain way. This is my way of showing people that it is still ok to be yourself and to love the you that you are now.
I’m known for being a man of many traits, learning quickly, being understanding, and a peoples person for the most part. Which also happens to be what I am most proud of. I love the fact that no matter what the circumstances are I am able to adapt quickly, learn the new environment, and succeed. Everything that I indulge in I research first and spend countless hours trying to better myself. I love gaining knowledge and learning new things so I tend to surround myself by like-minded people or people who can step out of their comfort zones. I take pride in these characteristics because they help set me apart from other people that are my age.
This helps me stand out because at my age people don’t expect you to know what you fully want in life, let alone own three companies that work hand in hand. Therefore when they do encounter me or my businesses and the steps I’m taking to get everything to that target goal in life they become life long supporters and even good friends. It makes me feel like I made a difference and made it easier for the next bright-eyed young lady or man who may not be taken seriously because their credentials aren’t those of a fortune five hundred company.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My family and girlfriend are my biggest supporters. They keep my head on the right path even in those tough moments when you feel like giving in and throwing the towel. They let me know when I’m wrong and bring me back to reality at times. I can never forget my first booking ever by Sydney Ferguson and Malik Watkins. They took a chance with my company and paved the way to me expanding my style of shooting. Two good friends of mine, Ke’Arra and Alexis Allen, presented me with opportunities that I had only dreamed of covering and more to come. My frat brothers Denarius Toliver and Marquesas King alongside my family made a big impact on my mental health along this journey. They help me realize the good in the bad situations and that it’s ok to remove myself from certain situations to continue to elevate from my past situations. My brother DeVon Williams helped me find my love for expressing myself through music, not for fame or riches, but to relate and potentially help guide others. Mandii Brown showed me appreciation from our first day meeting, pushing my name into opportunities that I may not have known about. Last but certainly not least, my big sister JoAnn Williams, she pushed me to be myself, chase my dreams, and love my family at all levels in my life good or bad, because when that clock strikes zero and their time with you ends all you are left with are the memories you have. Without these people in my life I may have never actually picked up a camera or a pen, and I am forever thankful and grateful for them.
Pricing:
- Photography Package 1: $200
- Photography Package 2: $250
- Photography Package 3: $300
- Verse: $500
- Model Booking starting at $100/hr. with a 2 hour minimum
Contact Info:
- Email: outeastrecords@gmail.com
- Website: https://instagram.com/outeastrecords?utm_medium=copy_link
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/_dwillphotography?utm_medium=copy_link
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/s6LIj9apCfM
- Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/oe-dwill/1553684342
Image Credits:
Dwayne D. Williams Jr.
Mar’Janiece Harris
Anthony Patrick
