Authentic: Nora Williams

There’s an impressive power in Nora Williams’ photography—a stillness that invites viewers to pause, listen, and feel. A Midlands native and graduate student at the University of South Carolina, Williams has built a body of work that captures the heart and complexity of life in the South. Whether documenting protests, family gatherings, or overlooked neighborhoods, her images speak with both urgency and tenderness. Though her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, it’s her deep roots in Columbia, South Carolina that give her art its soul.

“My first interaction with a camera was through my mom,” Williams recalls. “She used a disposable to capture snapshots of our life.” Her passion sparked when her mother gave her a digital camera in high school. “From there, I took it everywhere.” In college, darkroom classes taught her to slow down and shoot with intention—learning how light, composition, and patience could deepen her storytelling. “Honestly, photography was always around me,” she says.

For Williams, Columbia isn’t just a backdrop—it’s an active collaborator. “I feel like Columbia is battling this old South and new South,” she says. “This is a great place to be because there’s so much rich history and so many stories to tell.” Her perspective as a Black woman plays a central role in her work. “I’ve been photographing people who are resilient— families and communities that are often overlooked. I love documenting those stories.”

Her latest series explores queer Southern identity, playing on the idea of “Southern hospitality” while challenging the traditions behind it. Those layered, lived-in stories are Nora’s favorites to capture.

“The hardest work for me is covering protests—those moments can be intense and hard to digest—but they’re important.”

She’s now diving into long-form storytelling, blending photography with video and graphic art. “I want to go deeper in how I tell stories and collaborate with communities,” she explains. Her big upcoming project is Cultural Layers, which documents the legacy of Ward 1—a historically Black neighborhood in downtown Columbia that was displaced by development from the University of South Carolina. Her portraits from that project will become part of a community mural coming soon.

She’s also continuing her work on Black cowboys and cowgirls in the South and expanding her series on Southern queer identity, which she calls her next big focus.

Before each shoot, Williams takes time to breathe and center herself. “I revisit old work to remind myself what I’ve learned and where I want to go,” she explains.

“There’s always this dance—when do I pull out the camera, and when do I just be present?” she reflects. “Some moments are meant to be remembered, others to be witnessed. I trust my gut—if it feels like the camera won’t interrupt something sacred, then I shoot.”

In the ever-evolving story of the South, Nora Williams is a storyteller for a new generation of curious minds—capturing not just what’s seen, but what’s felt. Through her lens, Columbia comes alive with culture, resilience, and a spark of something new.

Follow Nora’s journey on Instagram, @noraw.jpg, and look out for her Cultural Layers project and new work exploring Southern queer identity.

Want to discover more local? Follow Fig on Facebook and Instagram for inspiration.