There are times when I see a photographer’s work that I have an emotional response, a feeling that I am seeing something special. That’s what happened the first time I browsed through Victoria Will’s website. Photo after photo there was something…. with impact. That doesn’t happen very often.

Victoria’s career in photography began as a photojournalist, but has now moved to a focus on celebrity portraiture, editorial, and commercial assignments. That beginning, however, is readily obvious. Her images feel spontaneous, like she just happens to be there with a camera while some A List actor, or Hall of Fame musician. happened to be posing. Victoria’s portraits just feel honest and authentic.

Victoria’s images have appeared in the pages of some of the top publications, including Vogue, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone, ESPN and W Magazine. Commercial campaigns for brands like Carhartt, Levis, Netflix, Hulu, Epix, AT&T, Bose, Samsung, Ralph Lauren, and Miller High Life have also used her work.

Her About Page says that her approach is “rooted in collaboration and meaningful connection where she seeks intimacy, authenticity, and elegance with a thoughtful eye and composition”. I would probably just describe her work as magic, but I guess her wording is probably better for the website.

You don’t get to this level of success, and talent, without other people noticing, and she has a crazy collection of awards. Victoria has been recognized by American Photography, PDN Photo Annual, and Communication Arts, and her imagery has been the subject of both solo and group exhibitions internationally.

Her first monograph, Borne Back, a collection of tintype portraits, was published in 2017 by Peanut Press. Tintype photography is something I know very little about, or more accurately, nothing at all. Luckily for all of us, Profoto has a video on their YouTube channel documenting the process. You can check out “Victoria Will Shoots the Stars at Sundance” here.

In 2023, Victoria became one of the newest members of the Canon Explorer of Light program, an honor I will say is so very well deserved. She is one of the best working today.

Join Canon Explorer of Light Victoria Will and me as we explore tintype photography, and discuss her tintype image of famed actor Sam Shepard, on this Behind the Shot.

Website: victoriawill.com

Borne Back: peanutpressbooks.com

Victoria Will Shoots the Stars at Sundance: youtube.com

Dana Scruggs: danascruggs.com | @danascruggs