Today we’d like to introduce you to Henderson Rhoads.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Photography, for me, started as a journey of self love. I had always loved looking at photographs when I was younger but I never put much stock into it until I was around twenty-one years old. I had just gotten out of an awful relationship where I was a shell of the girl I once was and I got the idea to buy a camera to take self portraits to learn to love myself again. They were faceless artistic nudes that I posted on a website called tumblr nearly a decade ago [y’know, before the website devolved into chaos], and the positive support was overwhelming. It was essentially a small community of other humans learning to love themselves through the art of their bodies, and it was so incredibly healing. After about six months, my camera was always by my side wherever I went. I started relentlessly asking friends if they wanted free portraits so I could build a portfolio. I’ll never forget how much fun I had taking photos of my friend Franki for the first time in a nature park, and how I cried when I looked at them later that night because it they came out well and I was proud of myself, something that was rare in those times. When I showed them to her, the look on her face was the fiercest beauty I have ever seen. It’s what solidified the start of a dream for me- to help others see themselves as beautiful as I see them.
Now, the photography has gravitated into all forms. Street photography and portraits are my favorite but the dream is artistic and ethereal solo/couple portraits in various nature settings.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh gods, no. I’m learning that nothing ‘worth it’ in life is ever smooth and the challenges are what make the experience. There were a lot of insecure nights spent crying in imposter syndrome, my first paid photoshoot for a friend gave me so much anxiety I nearly threw up and took forever getting the photos back to her because I was paralyzed with indecision- but! It taught me to slow down and focus on taking a few quality photos instead of spamming the button. It taught me patience, focus, and perseverance. So now, while I still get pre-shoot jitters, it’s from the excitement of what I get to create with other humans. I definitely spend more time discussing and planning the shoots now instead of flying by the seat of my pants!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Currently I’m specializing in concert photography- I just moved to LA so I don’t know many people yet for the portraits I want to take [I’m accepting volunteers!!]- but it’s a new avenue that is helping me grow and it’s SO much fun! I have always been deep in the music scene so hanging out at shows and capturing the energy and joy has been a blast.
I’m proud of all of it. Life hasn’t been easy, so having an outlet where I can capture emotion in a way that is aesthetically pleasing has done loads for my self-confidence and the way I see the world. Now, everything I see is a work of art in some form or another. I’m really grateful.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Is it cheesy to say kindness? I just want everyone to have a good time and feel comfortable in their own skin when I’m doing portraits. I think that helps their real self shine through and that’s something you can’t stage or pose. The world can be hard sometimes, so creating a moment of peace and love frozen in time is really special to me.
And in a technical sense, stubbornness and sheer delusional perseverance. Something something, delulu until it’s truetrue.
Pricing:
- Standard: 30 minutes, 30+ photos, edited – 100$ [half price if found through here!]
- Deluxe: 120 minutes, 70+ photos, edited – 200$ [half price if found through here!]
- Professional: 180 minutes, 150+ photos, edited – 300$ [200$ if found through here!]
- Elite: 180 minutes, 300+ photos, multiple models, edited, 500$ [350$ if found through here!]
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hndrsnr.com
- Instagram: @hndrsnr
- Other: hndrsnrhds@gmail.com
