When it comes to photography, Devin Hendrick does it all.
Weddings, artistic portraits, boudoir, general lifestyle — if there’s a moment in your life that you want to capture with authenticity, beauty, and a little je ne sais quoi, Hendrick is ready.
It all started in high school with a camera gifted from her sister, which then led to covering theater productions in school and falling in love with those moments between the photos. Four years at four different colleges helped Hendrick realize maybe self-taught was the way to go, which led to more passion and freedom to explore the medium. “I was always out shooting events, creating artistic sessions, and just trying new things to learn on my own.”
We sat down with Hendrick to learn about her process and inspiration.
What do you love about photography?
I love the connection and intimacy that photography provides. Photography gives me an excuse to engage in dialogue and break down barriers while documenting people’s lives. I always joke that I get the best seat in the house when shooting weddings, because I’m there first-hand to really observe and capture those micro moments that matter most. I love the grand big moments I can create on camera, but I live for those in-between connections between loved ones. When I’m doing a stylized shoot with a client, it’s the conversations and connections between clicks that open my subject up to being their best and most authentic self. I love that I am the one who can help them see their beauty inside, through my camera.
Another element that draws me in is how photography is the closest thing we have to time traveling. Think about the last time you sat down and looked back at photos of your loved ones and how that makes you feel. Whenever we miss each other, whenever we want to share experiences, or even learn more about our history — photographs have a special way of bringing us right back to that moment in time. I feel honored to be a part of the legacy people look back on over the years and reminisce.
Who or what are your artistic influences?
My mother, who has been a professional artist for over 50 years, definitely influenced my dedication to a craft while also embracing the fun and playful side of art. That, paired with a deep love for fairytales and fantasy, has impacted my work for years now. I loved creating fairy worlds while exploring my backyard as a child, often drawing or writing stories to pair with my tall tales. I would dive deep into any media that highlighted those kinds of realms such as “The Labyrinth,” or any books by Brian Fraud, who is a master of worldbuilding and magical whimsy, or even the eerie atmosphere of David Lynch. With a lot of my work, I try to add or highlight some sort of magical spark that can inspire childlike wonder.
Can you tell us about your more experimental, “empowerment” sessions?
I am so overjoyed to offer empowerment sessions. That’s where I feel the most creative and inspired with my clients. Empowerment can look like many different things and I enjoy chatting with my subjects beforehand to create customized, artistic photo shoots around their inspirations. This can take the form of a boudoir session where clients can bare it all and embrace their body with care. Or perhaps it’s a shoot to celebrate you coming out as a queer individual and taking time to memorialize that moment. Or sometimes it’s a session where we honor and acknowledge loss or change in our lives.
Whatever the final photo shoot comes together as, art in action can be so therapeutic for all parties involved. It’s a place where most anyone can tap into a sense of play, which I think is harder and harder to come by these days. By giving myself and my subjects permission to just create and have fun with things, it opens a whole world of collaboration. Working together in this way allows for real-time problem solving, reflection and often growth.
Anything else you have to say about the state of art?
I’m very grateful to my supporters and community who have always championed my artistic journey. From the friends who’ve always trusted me when I put them in strange and interesting positions for the sake of art, to my family encouraging me to pursue this profession, and especially my clients who’ve invested in my vision. In reflection of the last year, I am now more than ever solidified in the fact that we rely on art daily to brighten our lives, and we should be supporting the arts any way possible.
Investing in the arts is investing in our own story; it beautifies our lives. It keeps us company in times of need. It inspires us to be better and to think deeper. And the beautiful is, we are all born artists. We all grew up drawing, scribbling, doodling, daydreaming as children — no worrying about perfection or production, just raw expression. Tapping back into that expression sometimes takes the right environment, and it’s my hope to help foster that space through my photography.
To see more of Hendrick’s work, visit devinhendrickphoto.com.
