From a class assignment to being ‘The Man’
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Bryson Vowell’s touchdown reception at the state cham- pionship game last December is one of Ricky Williams’ “highlight” photos. - Ricky Williams
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Early evening snowfall in Norris outside of Norris Library, January 2022. Ricky Williams may be known for his sports photography, but his skills include capturing scenes in nature and setting a photo that makes a snowy streetlight look something like the face of a bug. - Ricky Williams
It was a simple beginning, unforeseen, benign.
Some nine years ago, Ricky Williams was taking a photography course at Pellissippi State Community College.
As part of that course, he needed to create a portfolio.
It was the selection of the focus of his portfolio that laid the groundwork for what has become an Anderson County High School tradition of sorts.
“I asked Coach (Davey) Gillum if I could follow him and shoot pictures,” Williams said.
Gillum agreed.
The rest is, as the saying goes, history.
Ricky Williams is “The Man.”
Getting to that point was easy for the sports photographer. He just had to be himself.
Williams is a “sports guy.”
He likes the games, the competitive nature of the contests, the cohesiveness of a team or the will of an individual in an individual test, the excitement and drama sports give us.
But above and beyond the first downs, free throws, grand slams, dashes and throws … he loves the kids.
“The kids are great,” he said. “You get to know them and you want to see them do well. You want them to succeed.”
Working on his portfolio and following Gillum and the Anderson County High School football Mavericks, Williams got hooked on sports photography and sports photojournalism.
Again, he likes all sports, but track, he said, is probably his favorite. He worked with his brother when his brother coached track, and saw the sacrifice and commitment those kids gave.
While Williams is a Mav fan, he is appreciative of all athletes from all teams.
“They’re kids,” he said. “It’s a game. It’s fun.”
A big thrill for Williams is seeing a big play, a key play, or a big effort from a player, then seeing that he captured that on his camera.
It connects him to that moment.
Sports may have the “WOW” moments, the excitement and drama, but Williams has other images that can stir someone.
He loves the outdoors and appreciates the scenes nature provides, loves to capture those scenes.
Others have noticed his work and skill in the Anderson County High School community. It’s not unusual for a parent to ask him to “get a few shots” of their son and/or daughter and he happily obliges.
He’s also a “nice guy.”
You’ll never hear Williams say anything negative about a kid, a parent, a fan from the opposition. It’s not in his DNA.
And when Williams is shooting an event for The Courier News — especially if the Mavs are playing another county team — he works to get photos of kids from both sides of the score sheet.
Williams’ love of sports photography has grown beyond the sidelines of any event he’s covering. He’s started a photography business that is growing because so many of the kids he’s taken pictures of on the fields and courts know him.
He’s made a lot of contacts through his church and his work with Scouts, through his activities in the community.
“I’ve been doing it long enough now that people are getting to know my work,” he said.
He’s also encouraged others to get involved with sports photography.
His nephew, Zack Williams, started shooting on the sidelines two years ago and has grown in his work.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Williams said. “You can’t really explain it to someone, so I guess the best way to do that is for them to see for themselves how much fun it is.”
Williams is a lot like the athletes he takes photos of. He prepares for events, he has … not rituals really, but a system or routine for getting ready.
He’s almost perfected the art of getting prepared, so the only thing he has to do once the game begins is get great shots.
And he does.