Tippecanoe alumni photographs New York Fashion Week
Graduation season and festivities are fast approaching in the upcoming months. One of the cuter and less stressful aspects of watching your loved ones move forward in life is seeing their senior photos. This is where Tippecanoe High School (THS) and Career Technology Center (CTC) graduate Belle Williams began her impressive photography career. Now, the newly 22-year-old has achieved what many photographers dream about for a lifetime. From February 6-9, Belle spent her time shooting runways, models, and behind-the-scenes photos for Art Hearts Fashion during the famous semi-annual New York Fashion Week.
Shooting fashion was somewhat of a new experience for the 2021 CTC and THS graduate. Williams started by taking pictures of friends and family and then progressed into taking senior photos professionally. She even took her own senior photos, with the help of her mom, ensuring that they projected her style and personality. Belle has always pushed through pursuing her dream as a photographer. She developed her skills while attending CTC and hit the ground running by becoming an entrepreneur shortly after graduation. Belle has created a style that is unique to her photography, which could be described as timeless, cinematic, and romantic. Williams expressed how her main goal during a shoot is to make a connection with the clients and to understand them on an intimate level. She’s since developed a warm and whimsical style that has led to her incredible success in couples and wedding photography.
Belle’s photographs make the viewer feel as though they’re also falling in love, and the comfort seen in the smiles and poses of her clients creates a natural and candid atmosphere that is visible in all of her work. Belle captures emotion in all of her shots. It’s no surprise that this type of talent would be sought after in a fashion setting - a setting in which she was urged to explore early on in her career by her CTC instructor, Troy Baker. Belle’s skill of evoking emotion is visible in her usual photography and now her fashion shots.
Williams described her experience shooting for New York Fashion Week as fast paced and exciting. Although she didn't know what to expect, she adapted to her environment and went with the flow while making connections and meeting people from around the world along the way. She says, “This experience opened my mind a lot.”
Her friends and clients admire her excellence, and her photography business is growing with each photo and event. New York Fashion Week was just the beginning for Belle. The Tippecanoe homegrown photographer is paving her way in the world of art one fashion week, wedding, and senior portrait at a time. She’s now based in Columbus and can be found through her Instagram @bellewilliamsphotography and website, bellewilliamsphotography.com.