Meet Dan Henry: Photography Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dan Henry and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Life is about taking risks… everything from the fist time I tried to ride a bike without training wheels, ultimately breaking my arm… to quitting my full time job as a newspaper photojournalist to start my own photography company. Being stagnant and safe doesn’t allow anyone to reach their full potential, and failing is ok as long as you learn from those experiences and keep trying. Owning my own freelance photography company is scary and a risk every single day, and its rarely easy. But that investment gives me a true sense of accomplishment and pride having something that I created, as well as giving me confidence to do other difficult things in my life. Like running a 50k trail race or completing an ironman competition.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
So I actually hold a BFA in photographic design from the University Of Georgia. The program was geared towards gallery work… I still express myself in photographs so the addition of fine art is key. I fell in love with being able to provide imagery that has personal meaning for a couple on their wedding, or shooting products that helps a small business owner earn a living every day versus something that simply hangs on the wall. Also having worked for newspapers, it afforded me the opportunity to become extremely diverse … pushing me to not just be proficient but excellent at a lot of different aspects of photography from headshot portraiture, to documenting real moments during an event to extremely clean product photography. Focusing on that diversity keeps me learning every single day. I revel in the opportunity to challenge myself and exceed my clients expectations.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a people person and also a nature addict! So anyone that is friends with me should expect to have at least some form of exercise every day 🙂 Start at a local coffee shop for brunch, followed up by an outdoor activity. After cleaning up it would be an early dinner followed by a glass of pinot noir and conversation, people watching or a board game. The activity could be trail running, cycling, riding the motorcycle, kayaking, or stand up paddling… I love all of it and typically do something different every day. As far as restaurants go,… I love them to be as diverse as my activities. Pretty much my two requirements for a restaurant that I’ll take someone to is either, they serve something that I can’t make easily at home, or the atmosphere is amazing! Being a visual creative the aesthetic of a space is really important to me.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to start my shoutout by thanking the wonderful ladies at Elea Blake Cosmetic Studio for referring me to this your publication. I learned a lot in the decade-plus that I worked as a photojournalist in the newspaper industry, in every interaction I had with a fellow photographer as well as my photo bosses, Billy Weeks, Tracey Trumbull and Robin Rudd. I also have to thank freelance photographers Andrew Kung, David Higginbotham and Corey Wilson for taking the time to talk to me about the challenges and benefits of owning your own photography business, ultimately inspiring me to take the leap.

Website: https://www.danhenryphotography.com

Instagram: @danhenryphotography

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/danhenryphotography

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanHenryPhotography

Youtube: https://vimeo.com/danhenryphoto

Image Credits
Photography by Dan Henry