In 2008 he was laid off, due to the economic recession. “I was a workaholic, but I was not willing to let go of either job.” “I was working 80 hours a week,” Williamson continued. After graduation, he worked full time as a landscape architect and spent his evenings taking photos for United Press International and REUTERS News Pictures in Colorado. “It was something I felt I had to do that would benefit me in the long run,” said Williamson. He moved to Colorado where he received his master’s in landscape architecture from the University of Colorado. “I realized then that my two passions could be mutually beneficial,” he said.Īfter a while, Williamson decided he needed a change. It was at this point that Williamson began taking photos of landscape designs, and the firm even won awards for some of the designs. He continued to take photos for publications such as the Houston Post and the Houston Chronicle. These extra jobs only made his passion grow.Īfter graduating, he worked as a designer at McDugald-Steele where he interned the summer of his fourth year. He started working for LSU’s The Daily Reveille as well as The Advocate in Baton Rouge. His dual passions soon made him a workaholic. “Ever since that first photography class at LSU, I was hooked,” said Williamson. His interest in photography started immediately when he enrolled in an introductory photo journalism course. His friend explained more about the field and showed him around, and landscape architecture ended up being one half of Williamson’s perfect fit. “I asked him why he was so tired, and he said he had been staying up all night working on projects in his studio,” Williamson recalled. He had a friend from the army who was at LSU studying landscape architecture. “The original dream was to be a car designer, but I had trouble in the chemistry classes,” said Williamson. He was a sergeant in the Army Reserve and the National Guard.Īfter two years of military service and a transfer to the Louisiana Army National Guard, the Houston native enrolled in LSU to study mechanical engineering. He served with a combat engineering company in Gonzales, Louisiana Beaumont, Texas and Denver,Colorado. Williamson, with the help of a parental waiver, joined the army while still in high school. His story is one of many parts, but as he noted, “It all goes back to LSU.” “We are living in a visual world, and it is important to find a way to keep your business relevant and keep the audience interested,” said Williamson. With a list of clients that include AECOM, the National Park Service, StandardAero, National Air Transportation Association, Shea Homes, Castle Rock Development, and many more, Williamson works with internationally recognized clients to portray images that tell his clients’ stories best. His work has appeared in publications such as Time magazine, Landscape Architecture Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and USA Today. Taking his love for photography and merging it with his background in landscape architecture, Williamson has become a successful location photographer specializing in aviation, architecture, interior design, industry, and environmental portraits and landscapes. It has taken him a while, but he has finally found what seldom do-a job he describes as “the best seat in the house.” His passion for his work leaves him anxiously anticipating the next work day-he only values sleep as a means to do what he loves all over again. The work days cannot last long enough for LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture alumnus Robb Williamson (BLA ’92).
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