Meet Joy Henderson | Wedding Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joy Henderson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joy, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Pursuing photography as a business was my way of treading outside of my comfort zone. I’ve always considered myself a pretty creative person. I LOVE art in all different medias so somehow, I knew my career would circle back in this direction. It’s a blessing to be able to make a living on my own terms. As a mother, it’s also important for me to create a legacy that my children are proud of and inspired by. Now they’ll know that they can use what’s inside themselves to carve their own path in life too.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a wedding photographer with a bright yet true to color style of edit. I focus on capturing emotions and real moments that most forget about but everyone loves to look back on. With over 100 weddings under my belt, I’m pretty well versed when it comes to how a typical wedding day unfolds. I’m not a wedding planner by any means, but I act as a resource for my client and guide them through what their day will look like in photographs.

I’m so excited to meet new couples and network with other vendors in the industry. I’ve grown so much over the last few years and I think strong relationships are the lifeblood of small businesses.

Growing a business is hard! There’s no other way around it. However, I continue to learn and pay close to attention to the things that matter the most to my clients. Taking care of others just like I’d take care of a family member is at the heart of my business and should be for any service-based business. I keep finding ways to serve them with love and care while continuing to show up as myself.

Having both flexibility and freedom are non-negotiable for me now, not only for my sanity but because of how meaningful it is to spend quality time with loved ones. I’ve also learned that I don’t have to be perfect or like anyone else in order to be successful.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If a friend of mine were visiting Houston for a week, we’d start our day with a kolache or two from either Shipley Do-Nuts or The Kolache Factory. If they wanted to spend the day out, we could either visit The Museum of Natural Science or the Downtown Aquarium. For funsies, we’d check out the nearest escape room, Top Golf, or Battlefield Laser Tag.

As long as it’s not sweltering hot outside, we could go for a walk along Buffalo Bayou. Then we’d grab a smoothie bowl at JuiceLand. We can even book an Airbnb in Galveston, visit the pier, and have dinner at Willie G’s. I’m a huge foodie so I’d take them to places like Sweetgreen, Le Jardiner, and Brenner’s Steakhouse.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have to give credit to my kids. They’ve pushed me to become a much better version of myself. Even though they probably don’t see it now, they’ve taught me the importance of balance. I don’t have it all figured out yet, but over the last few years I’ve been focusing on maintaining balance in my personal and professional life.

I also have to give a shout out to someone very dear to my heart, Angelo. He is one of my biggest supporters, encourages me to keep going even when I’m feeling super defeated, and even takes all of my cute headshots.

Website: https://forjoyphotography.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/forjoyphotography

Facebook: https://facebook.com/forjoyphotography

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