Alumni Fellow Will Wilson ’87 Discusses Process and Perspective with Students

You’ve probably heard the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words.” The story those words tell, however, often depends on who’s behind the lens and how they engage the subject.

This correlation runs deeply through the work of photographer Will Wilson ’87. A member of the Navajo nation, Wilson melds past, present, and future together to recenter the voices of Navajo people and the issues their communities face.

In a series of classroom visits on Feb. 27 and 28, Wilson spoke of his work and how his experiences at NMH inspired him to pursue a career in photography. His visit was part of the NMH Alumni Fellows Initiative. Supported by Ruth Stevens ’68, the initiative brings distinguished alumni to campus to engage with students and faculty in meaningful ways.

Representation Matters

In his talks with students, Wilson noted that many Native American communities have complicated histories with photographic representations of their people, which have historically perpetuated negative or misleading stereotypes.

He illustrated this point by showing a historic photo of a Navajo family in a covered wagon, which was taken to promote President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty initiative.

“The little girl in that photo is my mother,” Wilson revealed. “There's a narrative that's been overlaid on top of this. The truth is, my family was, by today's standards, pretty well off: My grandmother had 500 head of sheep, and my grandfather had these amazing fields. They provided pretty much all the nutritional support that was necessary for an extended family of 50 people.”

Wilson tied this into his own experiences at a Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school prior to coming to NMH while speaking to students in the “You Are On Native Land” class. Students in the class had recently watched a documentary on the subject.

“Where do you cut off a culture? You start with the children,” Wilson said. “You sever their relationship with their history, their economy, and force this traumatic shift. The boarding schools were a pivotal instrument to make that manifest.”

Challenging these legacies is a central motivation to much of Wilson’s photographic work, whether it be by recentering authentic native experiences or by reimagining elements of the Navajo creation story to address environmental issues facing the Navajo community.

“I think there's a lot of ways to deal with trauma,” Wilson told students. “You can be creative and proactive and respond in a positive way, or you can go down some dark roads. Manifesting things through creativity is a very powerful way to deal with these issues.” 

The NMH Experience

Wilson’s interest in photography extends back to his early childhood, but it wasn’t until his arrival at NMH that he had access to the materials and techniques to put his passion into action. Photography gave him a tool to transcend the liminal spaces he lived in through much of his adolescence.

“Coming to NMH was a big shift in culture; I’d never been east of New Mexico before that,” said Wilson. “I didn’t talk a whole lot my first year. There was a darkroom over on the Northfield campus, and I pretty much lived in that place.”

Over time, NMH’s culture of encouragement and passion for one’s work inspired him to consider photography as more than a hobby.

“I was always living in translation in some ways – I think it's one of the reasons I fell in love with the idea of photography,” he said. “It gave me a voice in some ways that I didn't have previously.”

The school also laid a foundation for Wilson to frame his questions about identity and the world around him. 

“So much of my time at NMH was about learning and reading, discussing text, history, political discourse and religion: The whole ‘Who am I? And how, then, shall I live?’” Wilson said. “Those are not things that I was thinking about previously.”

Talking Shop

During a visit to a Digital Photography class, Wilson delved into the techniques and collaborations that go into his work. In his “Auto Immune Response” series, which evokes the Navajo creation story set in a post-apocalyptic world, Wilson worked with the Denver Botanical Garden to highlight the importance of traditional indigenous foodways as a response to climate change. For his “Talking Tintypes” collection, the photographer used wet plate collodion – an iconic photographic process from the mid- to late-19th century – which he combined with an augmented reality app to imbue sound ands movement into his photos.

His latest project is a return of sorts to photojournalism that inspired him at NMH. Utilizing cameras, drones, and data from the Environmental Protection Agency, Wilson is cataloguing abandoned uranium mines scattered across Navajo lands, which he plans to have developed into an app that makes information about these sites more accessible to people living nearby.

Mia Pace ’25 was struck by Wilson’s ability to use imagery to tell stories that transcended the individual image. 

“I really liked the creative idea behind it – that it's more than just the technical side of editing photos and actually learning how to work a camera,” Pace said. “It’s telling the story behind it, giving it meaning and significance.”

For Masood Saidi ’25, it wasn’t just Wilson’s attention to detail and perspective that stuck out, but his ability to tell a story through subtle shifts in perspective.

“I took this class because it felt like I can be a professional photographer, not just someone taking a picture,” said Saidi. “Right now, the photos I’m taking practice technique, but if someone asked me, ‘What is the story behind it?’ There's not much I can tell. Looking at Will’s photos, there’s a story behind them – that’s what I’m working towards.”

Wilson’s approach to his work speaks to larger lessons that photography can offer about life, Saidi added. “Photography changes your perspective, helps you to see from different angles. If you apply that in your life, you can solve a problem from different angles.”

Wilson said the opportunity to sit in on classes reaffirmed his admiration for the work NMH is doing. He encouraged students to take advantage of their time here, and embrace their identity, wherever they find it. 

“Trust that your experience is valid and important, and be proud,” Wilson said. “It's an amazing opportunity you have here. It certainly transformed the trajectory of my life.”

Photos by Stacie Hagenbaugh, Matthew Cavanaugh Photography, and Max Hunt.