Anna Williams
'Poppin', 2024

Still life of light coming through glass vase of garden poppies on washed linen.

Anna Williams was born in Richmond, VA, and studied photography at the University of the South. "The instant I saw the image emerge onto paper in the developer tray, it was like magic." After graduation, she received a simple, but life-changing piece of advice: "If you want to shoot, start assisting."

So Anna moved to New York and converted a tiny East Village bathroom into a darkroom while assisting some of the greatest commercial photographers of the time, including Stephen Lewis, Bill Abranowicz and Gentl + Hyers. A few years later she was out on her own, and in 2000 Anna was recognized by PDN's 30 under 30 for her outstanding work.

Since then, Anna has been shooting for a diverse range of clients and has been honored with numerous industry awards by Communication Arts, Society of Publication Designers, the PDN Photo Annual, American Photography and American Photographic Artists.

In 2010 Anna launched The Voracity, a project exploring themes of hunger, consumption and beauty through a wide range of styles and technique. Meant to push her on both creative and technical levels, each series explores a different visual approach and expands Anna's personal vision. The project is a collaborative effort involving the work of a large network of artists, stylists and designers. Featured in the 2012 Photo District News photo annual, The Voracity continues to evolve and grow into an inspiring force of creative exploration.