William Morton

EDUCATION

William Morton is a North Carolina native. A true Tarheel, William was born and raised right outside the University of North Carolina in Durham NC. He played drums for 6 years in pretty much every band Githens junior high and Jordan high school had. William discovered photography in junior high school, shooting on the yearbook staff both there and in high school.

William subsequently attended East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. During his time at ECU William was an active member of his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon, and served in several offices and positions in the TKE house.

William earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology, with a concentration in Web Management. In 2007 he completed an MBA program, earning a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Project Management.

MILITARY SERVICE

After leaving ECU William joined the US Navy and spent 9 years in aviation electronics. After a year of school in Millington TN (outside Memphis), William was stationed at NAS Whidby Island. From that base he did Mediterranean and Indian Ocean cruises on three separate aircraft carriers - the USS America (CV-66), the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), and the USS Saratoga (CV-64). He was on the Kennedy during the first Gulf War's Desert Shield and Desert Storm. William rounded out his Navy tours with Instructor Duty at NAS Miramar (yes, the home of the real Top Gun). William earned the Navy Achievement Medal amongst his other awards and certifications.

PHOTOGRAPHY

His time in the Navy allowed him to photograph some of the beautiful sights of Europe and the middle east, and he opened up his first portrait studio in the little town of Oak Harbor, WA. This is where William picked up the nickname "Shooter." William quickly found his photographic forte to be glamour and boudoir portraiture, and he loved seeing the happiness on someone's face when they looked at their images. Upon moving to San Diego, William helped manage a retail portrait studio prior to reopening his own studio in Escondido (a city in San Diego's North County) . William refined his studio lighting skills and began to shoot more model portfolios and headshots as well as delving in to some commercial photography and web design. William taught portrait and event photographers as the corporate Photography Manager for a national franchise company from 2004-2009 before returning to full-time shooting, and he now operates William Morton Visuals where he concentrates on commercial, corporate and event photography.

EXTRACURRICULAR

In his "free" time, William enjoys photography of scenic sunsets and night scenes, discovering new local fun spots and sights, savoring wines and entertaining friends. William continues to design and maintain websites for friends and non-profits. He has helped found and serve on the Board of Advisors for the Pi-Xi chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon at UCSD. William's family includes 2 adopted cats, very appropriately named Kodak and Fuji. He considers himself very lucky to be doing much of this with his partner and soul-mate, Mary.