Meet Clifton Williams | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Clifton Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Clifton, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Taking risks in the journey to self-discovery and creative exploration has been the most valuable choice I’ve made. Often, we hesitate to embrace the uncharted territories within ourselves or express our creativity fully. However, by becoming more willing to take those risks, whether it’s adopting a new perspective, changing appearance, or pursuing a novel creative idea, its opened doors to a deeper understanding of myself. It’s been crucial to acknowledge that new ideas inherently carry risks, as they may feel unattainable at first, but that’s where growth lies. Overcoming this hesitation, is essential to a deeper understanding of it being risky and evaluating why it’s a risk worth taking, regardless of the potential outcomes. As long as the choices don’t harm others or lead me astray from life goals, embracing these risks enriches the journeys and enhances self-discovery daily. Risking being uncomfortable and still trying; has been the most important part of my growth as a photographer. Some ideas work and some don’t, simply that’s the point of it all. When I found what worked and what didn’t, it becomes easy to focus on playing with the in between. I’d call this space “The Canvas of Evaluated Risk”. Once I found this space, I was able to see what I can work with.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What I’m most proud of and excited about in my journey as a photographer, under the handle Graceful Planes, is my ability to capture the depth of human emotion in my work.

My path to where I am today professionally wasn’t easy. It began after experiencing loss of my grandmother in my life, which led to a profound soul-searching journey. After this happened we went on a family trip, to bring us closer together and that is where it all started three years ago. I knew in that time of discovery, she was really looking out for me. My Gra always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. So I started to believe the way she would. Never giving up and growing in her honor.

The challenges I faced included overcoming grief and learning the art and technical aspects of photography from scratch. Especially since I decided it was best to learn on film. What kept me going was the deep passion I found in freezing moments in time, no matter how difficult or emotional they were. I saw photography as a way to preserve memories and emotions.

Along the way, I’ve learned valuable lessons about resilience, the power of art to heal, and the profound beauty that can be found in even the most challenging moments of life. Graceful Planes, is a testament to my commitment to exploring new planes of peaceful expression through my photographs.

I want the world to know that my story is one of transformation and healing, and that through my lens, I strive to capture the essence of the human experience, celebrating both its joy and its pain. We all deserve a graceful plane of existence.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Head to the Welcome Diner for a hearty breakfast. They’ve got delicious comfort food and a cozy atmosphere. After breakfast visit a local museum like Heard Museum, or the MIM. Leave mid afternoon and Head to The Churchill, a deep dive into a variety of food vendors offering diverse culinary experiences from great local spots. Drive and park in Scottsdale to walk around old town for art exploration by checking out galleries or street murals in the area. Grab a small drink dessert while walking around. Continue walking to Dinner at Pizzeria Virtu to enjoy a delicious pizza and Italian cuisine. Then we would make our way downtown. Going to Crescent Ballroom to live music or events, adding to the local vibe from some lovely sound. Afterwards drinks at Valley Bar, a unique atmosphere and craft cocktails.

Best spots to check out are Disco Dragon, Sink or Swim for food and many more. Definitely keep an eye out for the local bands and artists that play small intimate shows here as well, they happen almost daily.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A very talented upcoming artist name Nick Congelliere aka Taogu. He is a multi faceted music and visual art creator. A very unique mind and wonderful human being.

Instagram: @gracefulplanes

Image Credits
Clifton Williams