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PHOTO BY DANIEL WILLIAMS Brookhaven filmmaker Daniel Williams has begun a photography project to document Brookhaven’s past and present.

PHOTO BY DANIEL WILLIAMS Brookhaven filmmaker Daniel Williams has begun a photography project to document Brookhaven’s past and present.

PHOTO BY DANIEL WILLIAMS Brookhaven filmmaker Daniel Williams has begun a photography project to document Brookhaven’s past and present.

PHOTO BY DANIEL WILLIAMS Brookhaven filmmaker Daniel Williams has begun a photography project to document Brookhaven’s past and present.

PHOTO BY DANIEL WILLIAMS Brookhaven filmmaker Daniel Williams has begun a photography project to document Brookhaven’s past and present.

PHOTO BY DANIEL WILLIAMS Brookhaven filmmaker Daniel Williams has begun a photography project to document Brookhaven’s past and present.

The owner and creative mind behind Mississippi’s largest film production company is working on a photography project focusing on Brookhaven.

The project, tentatively titled “Ole Brook Old and New,” is the latest venture from filmmaker Daniel Williams.

Williams was only 26 years old, got his first camera at 12, and started an aerial film company at 17. His first films were about boat christenings and speedboats designed for Navy SEAL training. Since then, he founded Integrity Productions, which produces many commercials and short films.

A native of Dauphin Island, Alabama, Williams lived in Baton Rouge before moving to Brookhaven with his family in 2021. His professional bio states, “His commitment to growing and expanding his company and realizing his clients’ vision is second only to his love for his wife, Caroline, and their two sons. When he’s not traveling the country in his sports car, he enjoys motorcycles, cigars, physical fitness, and cinematography.”

“I’m grateful for the amazing opportunities I’ve had so far, traveling coast to coast, filming with the BBC, Discovery Channel, in the coffee industry and more. I get to do what I love every day,” he said shortly after moving to Homeseekers Paradise.

Now Williams wants to combine old photos with new ones taken in the same locations and from the same angles to show the differences – and similarities – between images from a little further back in time and those from 2024. He is searching the files of the Lincoln County Historical and Genealogical Society Museum for old photos and wants to get as many as possible from anyone who has photos of Brookhaven from earlier years.

“I’m going to try to recreate the exact places where people took photos and give a good idea of ​​how things have changed,” Williams said. “Any historical photos people have, especially ones that are special to them, would be great. I’d love to recreate a photo that already has meaning to someone.”

It is a photographic letter to a city that Williams and his family – his wife Caroline and his sons Sean (6) and Barret (4) – have grown fond of.

“I want to promote Brookhaven’s rich history and use it as an encouragement to the community, as something positive,” he said. “I also want to use my skills to make things better. We have to give back. Especially if you’re a Christian, we have to do that – we have to try to make things better.”

One way Williams tries to do this is through his membership in the Brookhaven Trust and the Brookhaven Servitium Club. He hopes this photography project continues that effort. Anyone with photos they would like the filmmaker to consider is asked to contact him at 504-400-7840 or [email protected]. Some of his previous work can be seen on his Instagram account @daniel_the_williams. He is open to suggestions and excited to see what people would like to contribute.

“I love old photos where people are walking around, where we can see the faces of the past,” Williams said. “It’s going to be interesting.”