🤣 Photo Shoot Lessons Learned at 61: Why This Silver Fox Is Done Wearing White Shirts (LOL)

roywillwrite
Aug 4
6 min read

Roy (above) & Patrice Williams (below) pose during a professional headshot portrait session with photographer Charles McCauley ("That Dude Wit Tha Camera"). While Patrice looked completely at ease in front of the camera, Roy walked away with a valuable lesson: why white shirts and white beards don't always mix.

🤣 The Photo Shoot That Taught This Silver Fox Never to Wear a White Shirt Again!

Written by Roy L. Williams, Silver Fox Twin from Birmingham, Alabama - USA

Have You Ever Felt Awkward in Front of a Camera?

Have you ever been to a professional photo session and wondered why some people seem completely at ease in front of a camera while others don't know what to do with their hands?

That's me, the awkward one. My wife Patrice is the natural portrait taker.

Recently, my wife, Patrice, and I had professional headshots taken by our friend Charles McCauley, known on Facebook and Instagram as "That Dude Wit Tha Camera."

The portraits turned out even better than I imagined.

But what surprised me most wasn't how they looked.

It was everything I learned while standing in front of the camera instead of behind it.

Ironically, I've spent the past 11 years taking photographs as Public Relations Specialist for the Birmingham Public Library.

Being the one in front of the lens was an entirely different experience.

Check out my reel of the photos https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BkHd2WMCw/?mibextid=wwXIfr

📸 About the Photographer: Charles McCauley ("That Dude Wit Tha Camera")

Looking for professional photos that capture more than just a smile?

Charles McCauley, better known as "That Dude Wit Tha Camera," specializes in bringing out each person's confidence, personality and natural beauty through his lens.

Whether you need professional headshots, family portraits, weddings, engagement photos, senior portraits, birthday celebrations, special events—or even a "good hair day" photo shoot—Charles can help you create lasting memories you'll be proud to share.

"Let That Dude Wit Tha Camera help bring your beauty—and your personality—to life through the lens."

📷 Behind the Camera...and Suddenly in Front of It

For nearly 40 years, cameras have been part of my life.

During my 25 years as a reporter at The Birmingham News, I worked alongside talented photographers almost every day as they documented the people I was interviewing.

For the past 11 years as Public Relations Specialist for the Birmingham Public Library, I've taken hundreds of photographs for news releases, blogs and social media.

I've spent most of my career helping tell other people's stories.

Being the story?

That was something entirely different.

I quickly discovered that confidence in front of a camera is a skill that has to be learned.

🤍 Lesson #1: Contrast Matters

One lesson became obvious almost immediately.

When you have a silver-white beard, what you wear matters.

I made one simple mistake.

I wore a white dress shirt.

Instead of highlighting my beard, the shirt caused it to blend together in several of the portraits.

After I shared one of the photos, my sister-in-law, Kimberly Oden Webster, laughed and pointed out, "That's a white beard!"

She was absolutely right.

My response?

"I should've worn a black shirt." 😂

Lesson learned.

Funny how one clothing choice can completely change a portrait.

Now I know.

Dark shirts like black, navy or charcoal create the contrast that allows a silver beard to become one of the focal points instead of disappearing into your clothing.

Photo Cutline: I ultimately chose this image as my new headshot because the tighter crop better highlights my silver beard. In several wider shots, my white dress shirt blended into my beard, making it almost disappear. Lesson learned: this Silver Fox is officially retiring white shirts for future portraits!

📸 Lesson #2: Confidence Can Be Learned

Watching Patrice during the session was fascinating.

Charles would suggest a pose...

and she seemed to slip into it effortlessly.

"Turn your head just a little."

She did.

"Look this way."

She did.

"Smile."

It looked completely natural.

Whether she was standing, sitting or doing the classic "Thinker" pose, everything seemed to fall into place.

Even the way she rested her finger against her face looked perfect.

Watching her, you'd think she'd been modeling for years.

Then there was me.

My version of the "Thinker" pose wasn't quite right.

My finger placement was just a little off.

I kept wondering:

Where do my hands go?
Am I standing straight?
Am I smiling too much?
Does this pose even look natural?

Thankfully, Charles never made me feel uncomfortable.

Instead, he calmly coached me through every pose.

Sometimes he'd simply smile and say,

"Relax."

A few moments later he'd remind me,

"Just be yourself."

Other times he'd walk over, gently reposition my hands, adjust my shoulders or slightly change the angle of my head before stepping back behind the camera.

Little by little...I loosened up.

By the end of the session, I wasn't concentrating on posing anymore.

I was simply being myself.

That's when I realized something.

Great photographers don't simply take pictures.

They help people become comfortable enough for their personalities to shine through.

Patrice Photo Cutline: Patrice was a natural from the very first click of the camera. Her smile, confidence and effortless poses reminded me why I've admired both her natural beauty and warm personality throughout our marriage.

📸 More Than My Photographer

Charles is much more than a talented photographer.

He's a minister at my church, Tower of Prayer in Leeds.

He's also a former college mathematics professor who now teaches high school math while mentoring young men.

As Charles often says,"I see the young me in them."

He's a devoted husband to his wife, Arrika, a loving father to Jayce, Charleigh, Gabriel and Charles III, and someone who genuinely cares about helping others succeed.

Our friendship also has another special connection.

His late father, Charles M. McCauley, was one of my mentors and my favorite editor during nearly two decades at The Birmingham News.

So having Charles photograph Patrice and me felt like life coming full circle.

🦊 Silver Fox Photo Tips

If you're rocking a silver beard like mine, here are a few lessons I learned.

✔ Wear darker colors like black, navy or charcoal.

✔ Let your beard become part of your signature look.

✔ Trust your photographer's guidance.

✔ Relax your shoulders.

✔ Smile naturally.

✔ Let your personality—not your pose—be what people remember.

🦊 Final Thought

One thing I learned at 61 is that confidence doesn't magically appear.

Sometimes it comes from stepping outside your comfort zone.

Standing in front of a camera reminded me how vulnerable it can feel to be photographed.

That's a lesson I'll carry into my own work behind the camera as I photograph others for the Birmingham Public Library.

Thankfully, I had a photographer in Charles who knew how to bring out the best in people...

and a wife in Patrice who showed me just how effortless confidence can look.

As for me...The next photo shoot?

You'll definitely see me wearing a darker shirt.

🦊 Silver Fox Williams Twins

Two Identical Twins. One in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. One in Europe.

We're proving that life after 60 can still be full of adventure, laughter and new lessons...

even if one of those lessons is simply...

The beard stays. The white shirts don't. 😄

Follow our adventures at www.silverfoxwilliamstwins.com

📸 Gallery

As you browse these portraits, you'll probably notice something I did.

Patrice looked completely relaxed from the very first click of the camera.

It took me a little longer to get there.

But thanks to Charles' patient coaching—and reminders to "Relax" and "Just be yourself"—I eventually stopped worrying about posing and simply enjoyed the experience.

That's one of the things that makes Charles such a gifted photographer.

He doesn't just capture faces.

He helps people discover the confidence that was there all along.

I highly recommend That Dude Wit Tha Camera for headshots, family portraits, weddings, senior photos, parties and special events.

One last observation...Look closely at some of my wider portraits.

You'll see exactly what I mean about a white beard blending into a white shirt.

Lesson learned. The beard stays...the white shirts don't! 😄

Patrice, a natural photo taker, looked beautiful, classy & elegant during her photo shoot