Parson Student - Daniel Williams - Suicide

RetroCameraReview · Apr 23, 2015

Hey All,

I thought I'd share a story about something that happened to me.

About 6 months after I featured my friend on my show, he committed suicide. Jumped in front of a train.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUCKbBnHLdT9S4O-MNKPK2lA&v=M0RNcgpDHA4

He was definitely a loss to the photographic world as you might see some of the energy evident in his photographs:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thisket/

I went to Lousiana State University with him and we both majored in Photography. At one point, I even think he had a crush on me. Awkward as it was being that I wasn't gay, I hugely admired him for his ability to see things differently. I just wanted to share this video portrait of him. He was pretty special.

Ricardo Miranda · Apr 23, 2015

I am sorry for your loss.

In the UK, suicide is the biggest killer among men aged 24-50, with particular incidence with those in my age group 40-50. It is also a subject that isn't discussed. Men don't want or like to talk about their struggles.
This BBC article appeared last week: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32231774
My condolences to his family and friends.

bsdunek · Apr 23, 2015

Prayers for his family and friends. It is a sad thing that a person becomes so distraught that suicide is the only path they see. In a world where our faiths are being disparaged more every day, we may see more of this.

BrianShaw · Apr 23, 2015

Bruce x2

kb3lms · Apr 23, 2015

Very sorry to hear about your friend.

removed account4 · Apr 23, 2015

i am very sorry to hear of your lost. my condolences to you, your friends and family.

BrianShaw said:
Bruce x2

+1

MDR · Apr 23, 2015

Sorry to hear about your friend and thanks for the link to his rather quirky (in a good way) photographic work.

blansky · Apr 23, 2015

Very sorry about the loss of your friend.

Obviously a tortured soul who was lost in the world.

Unfortunately his photographic talent although perhaps was an interesting outlet for him is nowhere near what you'd call good.

Using a large camera does not make one a photographer or an artist. His work is juvenile and uninspiring and unfocused.

I don't write this to sound mean, just that his floundering is evident in what he photographed and how he did it. He desperately needed guidance and not applause for his work, because the applause just led to his frustration. He needed a reality check and focus, and it appears he never got it.

But I'm so sorry he never found his way, which makes it all the more sad and such a waste.

RetroCameraReview · Apr 23, 2015

Blansky,

I don't take any offense to your criticisms. Thank you for your and everyone's thoughtful condolences.

Guidance I believe would have definitely been good. I did like his later work, it's not up on his flickr, but i did find a link here if you'd like to take a peek:http://www.reframingphotography.com/page/daniel-williams

A lot of it focused on bland subjects of buildings and paved concrete structures. I didn't really think that much of it at first, but perhaps after his death I think I saw some of his frustrations in it. I always like to encourage open opinions, so I appreciate that. Maybe I'm retaliating a bit, but he hated large format. He just used it because I think parson's encouraged it and he probably couldn't afford the digital counterpart to his specific needs. He was very OCD.

Thanks again guys

gleaf · Apr 23, 2015

He had a very interesting eye for the subtle pattern in the ordinary scene.

chazum0 · May 12, 2015

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I'm writing this while sitting at my desk at my LSU student job. Coincidentally, I too am an undergraduate photography major. Though I don't recognize his name or work, I will mention his passing to Thomas Neff and his desire to pursue an MFA at Parsons. It isn't often that I hear of alumni from the LSU photography program, especially under this tragic circumstance.

I, for one, enjoy his images. Judging from the ones posted to his flickr account, it is evident that he tends to work from a "stream of consciousness" perspective. The eclectic nature of the images on his flickr makes his work difficult for me to critique, however, I will say that as a Louisiana native born and raised in Baton Rouge, he had a way of seeing and photographing places I would have never considered. I would really enjoy reading an artist statement by him.

Theo Sulphate · May 12, 2015

Sorry that you lost your friend. It's sad and tragic when someone feels there is no point in going on, especially someone young. It's also very hard emotionally for those that knew him.

Thank you for the video and photo links.

I do enjoy his sense of lines and forms in his photos.

Parson Student - Daniel Williams - Suicide

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