Orian Williams’ initial encounters with photography occurred during his mother’s marriage to his stepfather, Ken Martin. Although their union lasted only six years, Ken’s influence and the enigmatic space in the house known as the darkroom had a profound impact on Williams. Most often, the weekend was reserved for visits to their lake house and there, in the early morning drives from Houston to the tranquil Texas countryside, accompanied by Ken, his camera, and often Williams as the subject, the B-Sides photographer discovered a new visual perspective. Once back home, the darkroom became a sanctuary for resurrecting and breathing life into the fruits of their photographic expedition. The scents, sounds, and profound concentration in the darkroom all contributed to the gradual emergence of a photograph, along with the alchemical interplay between chemicals, paper, and a dim red light. Everything materialized in that sacred room, and it fascinated Williams. It also awakened Ken, who was an oil man, to his seldom-explored creative side. Simultaneously, his mother had embraced the mission of documenting his life at every juncture, further crystallizing the idea of conveying memory and emotion through image.Orian WilliamsHat & BeardHardcover, 136 pagesISBN 9781955125444
