Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Justus Henry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Justus, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
One of the most meaningful projects I worked on was a food beauty series. During the pandemic, life pretty much stopped for everyone. For me, being a creative who works with people, most work stops, and the creative flow dries up. I would search for inspiration, but nothing stuck. I reached out to a food stylist I worked with in the past, and we bounced ideas off each other for some time and finally came up with the idea of combining food and beauty. But not you stand beauty shot with a piece of fruit but a more elaborate setup with a set design, multiple models, food stylists, makeup artists, clothes stylists, and videographers because we wanted it to be worthwhile. Generally, trying to get this many people available in one day is pretty much impossible. Still, we were about to make it happen and keep everyone safe with masks to take every precaution. Everyone was so happy to be creating again, and the shoot went perfectly, giving everyone hope during the hard times of the pandemic. It meant so much for everyone to show up and give their all to make this vision come to life. I couldn’t have done it without them. I am forever grateful to them.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
What peaked my interest in Photography was visiting my cousin who is a photographer as a child and seeing him working in the dark room with his own photos. Fast forward many years, I had a free elective in school, and I decided to channel my cousin and take a photography class to explore his world more. From that point, I was infatuated. So much so that I decided to switch my major to Photography and pursue it as a career. Today, I work as a freelance Photographer in Philadelphia, serving various clients and businesses. My passion is editorial and lifestyle photography, although I wear many other hats, which is what I love about my job. No two days are alike! One day, I can do headshots for a corporate company; the next, I can shoot the cover of Women’s World for Patti Labelle. What I would want clients to know about me is that my main focus is making you comfortable. Having photos taken can be a vulnerable experience, so I do everything I can to put my clients at ease so we can capture something beautiful and enjoy the process along the way.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
One thing that helped me build a reputation within my market is being personable. I need to listen to my clients’ needs, not make it about myself, and find ways of using my photography to help them and guide clients without being pushy.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
One of my main goals in my work life is to ensure I am never fully comfortable. I have learned that when I find myself too comfortable, I start to run on autopilot, and my creativity begins to fade. In seeking discomfort, I continuously seek new opportunities to learn and improve myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://justushenry.com
- Instagram: @justushenryphotos
Image Credits
Models- Colleen Cuthbertson, Lauren Adler, Quinn