About Me

Hello! My name is Jessica Henry and I am the photographer behind Simple Gifts Photography. I have been married to my wonderful husband for ten years and we have two children. I have lived in Alabama all my life and enjoy living in the South. But enough about me. I am now going to attempt to answer the question I get asked the most, which is How did you choose the name Simple Gifts Photography?

Many of you may be surprised to know that my background is actually in nursing, not photography. Working in intensive care and taking care of critical patients has been a passion of mine and I have learned so much from my patients along the way. In between the hurriedness of giving medicines, charting, and the occasional dressing change, I try to seize a quiet moment and talk with my patients. Many of them, feeling nostalgic, will reflect on their lives, talking about days of old. The funny thing is that they never mention what kind of car they drive, how big their house is/was, or how much money they made in a year. No. They reflect on the people, their relationships with those people, and the good times they have shared through the years, perhaps, because this is what they value most in life.

Taking what I learned from my patients, I became very intrigued with capturing people on camera. A newborn's crys. A toddler's mischevious grin. A child's toothless smile. A senior's coming of age. A couple's romantic looks. A pregnant mother's anticipation. An elderly woman's wise silver hair.

Take a deep breath in. Did you just do it? That was a gift. And Lord willing, you are about to take another one! Its the simple gifts in life that we take for granted... our family, our health, and the beautiful Earth God has placed us on. These are things that we will reflect most on at the end of our lives. The Bible says Every good and perfect gift is from above. Anything that is good and pure in life, we have only to thank our gracious Heavenly Father for. Despite all the simple gifts I have mentioned already, there is one that I have not mentioned yet that is perhaps the greatest gift of all. That is the gift of salvation. God sent His only son to die on the cross to pay for our sins so that we could have a relationship with our Creator. Not a simple sacrafice, but a gift that is so simple to accept, despite the world trying to make it difficult. Will you accept this gift? Have you accepted this gift? Will you accept this gift before it is too late?

Hope you are able to take a moment today and reflect on the simple gifts in life. :)