My friend Kevin Henri — photographer behind the awesome author photo in my book Chronicles of a Bee Whisperer — has recently put together an online portfolio and blog through Weebly, and I just wanted to take the opportunity to get the word out about him and his projects.
Of photography, Kevin says:
“There is just something fascinating about catching a moment in time and being able to show other people how I see the world. I believe that photographers have a very unique way of seeing the world because even without a camera, they see everything through a camera’s lens.”
Well said. I personally don’t have the skills required to capture a great photo (my hands get shaky aren’t nearly steady enough, nor my mind patient enough to wait for the right lighting, etc.) but I’ve always been appreciative of those that do. A great photo can say so much more than words and, what’s more, there’s an immediacy in looking at an image that just can’t be achieved while reading a story or poem. You’re thrust straight into the subject, and while there’s no build-up or back-story, a good photographer give’s you all of the information you need to feel emotionally connected to the image.
This is not to say that photography is a nobler — or better — art form than writing. I’d wouldn’t be caught dead asserting anything like that. But while it isn’t better, it’s certainly on par.
Kevin was born and raised in Derby, CT and has a strong sense of the local history and traditions. As such, his photographs often deal with the local area, ranging from wildlife and the great outdoors to the remnants of the Naugatuck River Valley’s glory days as a major industrial center. In addition to my author photo, he’s also done a couple of wedding shoots with our friend Jason Laliberte of J. Michael Designs. Anyone in the CT area looking for quality photographers, or simply for entertaining photos to browse while eating your morning cereal, should take a look at both Kevin’s and Jay’s sites.
And, as an added bonus, you can click here to get a behind-the-scenes look at how Kevin went about crafting my author photo, as well as the other photo that we narrowed it down to before ultimately deciding on the one that appears in the book. He doesn’t mention it in the post, but he can assure you all that I photograph exceptionally poorly. Here are some of the photos that didn’t quite make the cut:
And my personal favorite:
