Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlton Henkes.
Carlton, before we jump into specific questions about your art, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
At the age of five, I was given a 35mm film camera. My parents guided me toward interesting subject matter and encouraged me to explore. (Faces and people in action were more appealing than photos of trashcans and garage doors.) Around the age of 13, my family bought a digital camera to keep up with the changing times. I was enthralled with the immediacy of seeing each image on the screen as they were taken. Being raised in the analog world, I retained the sentiment that every exposure was precious. Even today, I rarely break 200 photos per shoot.
I became deeply involved in filmmaking and acting throughout high school and college. As a result of my fascination with filmmakers such as Richard Linklater and Wes Anderson, I began to craft images that tended toward the cinematic and fantastic. Photoshop started to seem less like cheating and more like a way to regain the lost art of developing. I wanted to portray my growing knowledge of the world as I studied the spiritual forces behind the physical. My artistic outlet became truly fulfilling as I learned that “to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 6:8, ESV).
During my junior year of college, I began working as a writer and photojournalist for the university’s newspaper. Doing freelance portraits on the side came naturally. Helping clients realize their own artistic vision gave new life to my work. The lens through which I viewed the world grew to help others view theirs. And so my company name became A Glass Brightly, inspired by Paul’s words, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face” (I Corinthians 13:12, KJV).
The glass shines even brighter now that my wife, Sarah, lends her incredibly creative mind to the business. Sarah compiles thrift shop and vintage wardrobes, designs jewelry for shoots, inspires models on location, and is a frequent model herself. Though her main career is in music, her indispensable vision makes A Glass Brightly a two-person team.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One of the difficulties, in the beginning, was deciding what kind of services I would offer. Most photography services specialized in weddings and graduations so that’s what I did for a while. I soon realized that most ceremonies take place on Saturdays, which didn’t work out very well for an artist who observes the Bible sabbath (Acts 13:42-44).
I did design work, making fliers and business cards for a variety of clients from musicians to doctors. I even did some photoshoots and ad designs for Mother Earth Brew Co., the Vista, CA tap house and craft homebrew shop. But after a stint of freelance writing, I found that being a jack-of-all-trades led to very little return business or steady clientele.
Since some of my friends were models, and my wife, Sarah, began to do more modeling to promote her fashion shop, I was able to hone my work in conceptual and glamour photography. Now almost all of our clients are models who want to add something unique to their lookbooks for gigs and agencies. It’s exciting that more models are getting interested in our film photography options.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
My favorite images to create are ones that elevate the dignity and personality of an individual. We do posed portraits as well, but the truly great photos are the ones that highlight the model simply enjoying life.
Growing the borders of our creativity is an important part of what we do at A Glass Brightly. Rarely do we take on photoshoots without attempting some new technique or element. And now that we’ve introduced film photography and instant film to our repertoire, every shoot is infused with unique character.
The model is always encouraged to join in the creative process as well. Something I frequently ask is, “What kind of ideas do you want to convey to your viewers?” This helps shape the direction of the shoot and the client feels welcomed as a collaborator. In film school and theatre, we referred to actors as “the talent.” This is no less the case with modeling. The lights and cameras are creative tools, granted, but the talent that the viewer primarily sees is that of the model. By recognizing this, we produce a truly holistic art.
What were you like growing up?
I was a rambunctious tyke, always climbing something. My parents homeschooled me through the first grade when they decided they couldn’t handle me anymore. So I was diagnosed with ADHD and sent off to normal school, where my friends and I were determined to be anything but normal.
Robots were my consuming obsession. Though I was glued to the TV set with Short Circuit and Lost In Space reruns, I was equally mesmerized by assembly line bots and Disneyland automatons. This led to a deep appreciation for Star Wars, a galaxy where robots were treated like human beings.
My hobbies included geology and astronomy. I loved collecting crystals and digging for rocks. I could frequently be found stargazing and learning about outer space. The moon has always been especially mesmerizing to me. My childhood interests haven’t faded one bit, as I still devour any science-related reading that crosses my path.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aglassbrightly.com
- Email: aglassbrightly@att.net
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/aglassbrightly
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/aglassbrightly
Image Credit:
Personal photo taken by Michael Pecaut. All other photos are taken by me.
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