Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Henry.
Hi Olivia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My first memories of photography go back to when I was a young girl. I would love to go outside and play with disposable film cameras. I fell in love with the idea of how easily a green and black rectangle could freeze a moment in time, and capture memories that could be saved for a lifetime. My photography journey began seriously about six years ago while I was a sophomore in High School. Around that time, my mom received a Sony a55 DSLR camera that was used to document all of my family’s vacations, holidays, sporting events, and extracurricular performances. Eventually, I started to try understanding how to use the camera by planning creative photoshoots with my sisters. After every shoot, I would try to learn and incorporate new techniques in order to push my manual camera work and my editing skills to be better than the previous shoot. Before I knew it, I was completely immersed in the world of photography. I was so eager to learn more and improve, I enrolled in a photography class and learned as much as I could independently from other professional photographers and editors. After my High School graduation, I was able to turn my hobby into a part-time job I could balance with college-level classes. However, when the pandemic happened, I had a lot of extra time to do school work and figure out how to take my business to the next level. I took a huge leap and created the OHP Rep Program in order to market and share my work with many others. I can successfully attribute my newfound business growth and outreach primarily to the OHP rep program. This program has truly allowed me to express all of my creative ideas and show the world how passionate I am about my work. I am very fortunate to be on my second year of the OHP Rep Program, not only because of how much it’s grown but also because of how much I enjoy spending time with the models. Each year my work and business grow more and more, I can’t wait to see where it is from 3-5 years from now!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Phew, I wish it had been a smoother road. If you ask me, it’s been like driving on a muddy road where you can often find yourself stuck. When I first started out, I knew nothing about how to control the camera, use editing softwares, lighting, or even posing. I spent most of my free time learning about camera functions, editing techniques, and programs, and even went as far as learning about art and color theory. I really learned the most through practice, trial and error, and from my photography class. Since those early days, business has been better than ever and I try to maintain my head up high through any occasional bump in the road.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a professional photographer who specializes in Senior, Teen, and individual portraiture. From time to time, I also shoot weddings and family sessions, but typically I shoot seniors and teens most of the time. In my area, I am mostly known for the OHP Rep Program and all of the unique creative-styled shoots we do. Personally, I am most proud of how much my work continues to improve and how I constantly push myself to try new things. When I first started out, I would strictly only shoot in natural light around ‘golden hour’. The idea of shooting in a studio setting, at different times of the day, in different lighting, or even with a flash scared me. Nowadays, I constantly try to incorporate new things by trying different poses, lighting techniques, locations, and creative concepts in order to continue to push my work to the next level.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Personally, what I love about Dallas is how diverse the scenery can be! There are so many beautiful locations so close to each other yet so drastically different all within the same area. Every time I drive around the city, I’m constantly scouting new potential locations and like most times I always manage to find new locations. I love the fact that you could find yourself in a beautiful garden and walk a few blocks to find a plethora of urban art murals. Aside from the work aspect, I love how much there is to do around Dallas. The huge amount of options for entertainment and dining are incredibly astounding given I come from a small town with less than ten restaurants. What I like least about the city is the traffic, I have had the hardest time adjusting to the huge highways and large amounts of traffic. I guess coming from a small town with less than 5,000 people never properly prepared me for the patience needed on a six-lane highway at rush hour.
Contact Info:
- Email: oliviahenryphotography@gmail.com
- Website: oliviahenryphotography.com
- Instagram: oliviahenryphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oliviahenryphotography/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSi8tJzTaAXlpYk7oUhs23w
