Curtis Williams

Curtis is the first graduate of the photography program to open a full-service studio. He worked for the City of Austin for twenty-one years. Decided to go back to school at night and entered our program while working full time. After 2 and a half years of four nights-a-week classes, he graduated from the program in December 1977 and opened his first studio on February 2, 1978. He closed his last studio April of 2000 and now works out of his home photographing weddings and portraits.

He is an active member of the Professional Photography of America and is certified by the organization for the last 20 years. He and his wife Betty received the PPA's highest award several years ago. This is an award for serving the Texas association.

As a Texas Professional Photographers Association member, he has served as a director from Austin and on the TPPA executive board. He has an Associate Fellowship Award from TPPA. He is very proud of his service as the secretary for the Texas School of Professional Photography since 1991. Along with the other three trustees, he has seen the school grow from 140 attendees to the record setting 600 plus in 2001 making it the largest such school in the nation. Curtis is also an active member of the Professional photographers Guild of Austin. He served his group as president two times, is an honorary fellow of the guild and is one of four life members.

Curtis has enjoyed teaching Fundamentals of Photography for the past 16 years. The wonder of a student watching their first print come up in the darkroom never loses its magic for him. This keeps him teaching each year. His idea of his job function is to give interested students a good foundation for entering our program and to assist others who take his class as an elective to advance their photographic skills.