MY NAME IS STUART JASON WILLIAMSON, AND I FIRST PICKED UP A CAMERA AROUND SEVEN YEARS AGO. CREATIVITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A HUGE PART OF MY LIFE. WHEN I LEFT SCHOOL, I ORIGINALLY WANTED TO BECOME AN ACTOR AND ATTENDED THE SCOTTISH YOUTH THEATRE, WHERE I COMPLETED A 12-WEEK COURSE. THAT EXPERIENCE INTRODUCED ME TO BOTH SIDES OF THE CAMERA—NOT ONLY PERFORMING IN FRONT OF IT BUT ALSO DIRECTING BEHIND IT. MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT SPARKED A PASSION FOR STORYTELLING.

AS I BECAME MORE INVOLVED IN VISUAL MEDIA, I REALISED PHOTOGRAPHY OFFERED ANOTHER POWERFUL WAY TO TELL STORIES. I LOVED CAPTURING MOMENTS THAT MATTERED—MOMENTS THAT CONVEYED EMOTION, ACTION, AND MEANING. WHAT BEGAN AS A HOBBY SOON BECAME SOMETHING I WANTED TO PURSUE MORE SERIOUSLY.

TO DEVELOP MY SKILLS FURTHER, I ATTENDED SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COLLEGE THREE DAYS A WEEK, FIRST COMPLETING MY HNC AND THEN MY HND IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY. PRIOR TO THAT, I HAD BEEN LARGELY SELF-TAUGHT. IF I'M HONEST, MUCH OF WHAT WAS TAUGHT ON THE COURSE WAS KNOWLEDGE I HAD ALREADY GAINED THROUGH PRACTICE AND PERSONAL STUDY. HOWEVER, THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE STILL PROVED VALUABLE. IT GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN A PROFESSIONAL STUDIO ENVIRONMENT, SOMETHING I HAD VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE WITH BEFOREHAND, AND IT ALLOWED ME TO CONNECT WITH OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO SHARED THE SAME PASSION. HAVING FORMAL QUALIFICATIONS ALSO PROVIDED AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF CREDIBILITY FOR FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE INDUSTRY.