Meet Corey Hendrickson

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Corey Hendrickson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Corey , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I am not entirely confident that I have, but after 2o years I have learned to enjoy the search. When am I out in the world making work, photographing or filming, and I let myself zoom way out… It can feel ridiculous and trivial. I seem to be looking down and seeing a guy making a photograph of a tree, or whatever, and without a doubt the world does not need for me to be doing THAT. I have to put those thoughts and voices on mute, exhale and try to remain only in the current moment, doing the best work that I can in that place. Otherwise my purpose can actually become lost. It sounds easy, but it can be very challenging because in someways, especially with personal work, it is always easier to not stop the car, not turn around, not ask a stranger to make a portrait… to not do the work. Becoming a parent intensified this whole dynamic and the search for purpose. Fortunately, while it has raised the stakes, being a father has also made me more efficient with my creative time and I never take the chance to be behind the camera for granted.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I divide my time between filmmaking and photography. My professional work is as a DP and Editor for a nationally broadcast TV show on PBS. It has a New England focus, and features adventures and cuisine in equal parts. I love getting to explore my backyard and I am constantly inspired by the guests that are featured. A recent example is a woman named Susan Baur and she founded the Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage (OLAUG) on Cape Cod. We filmed with them and it was incredibly inspiring to see their conservation and work ethic. Nobody pays them to clean up the ponds, but they have committed themselves to improving our world. I have a personal film project in development that explores the community of ice plungers in Vermont. When it comes to still photography I am constantly documenting my life. One project that has been fun lately is called Sidelines and is focused on the ritual of youth soccer. I love seeing all the folding chairs, the blankets, and siblings. It is a like a traveling circus, suddenly taking over a field and then completely gone in a few hours. I am also working on a long term photography project based on the road where I have lived for the past 10 years. It is called Route 125 and is 36 miles long, connecting the Green Mountains to Lake Champlain. I am interested in place-based documentary work, finding beauty in the landscapes I inhabit everyday. Nothing is mundane when there is good light. I have also recently given in to just photographing our cats everyday with my 6×7 camera. It’s a beautiful old camera and was gathering dust on my office shelf. I have a bunch of film left, and just decided to make a few frames everyday of our cats. It’s rather embarrassing to admit this, but maybe I have finally reached a point where I no longer care. It is fun to create and there should be no rules.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think three skills that have been helpful in my journey are determination, curiosity and gratitude. Being a self-employed creative is a challenging path, and so I feel like the process is self-selecting. One must have incredible intestinal fortitude or good financial planning skills, maybe both? I studied Forestry in undergraduate and in retrospect wish I had studied more small business… skills like marketing and bookkeeping are critical. That sounds dreadful, but it’s the reality. The creative part is relatively easy, building a sustainable life structure to facilitate those impulses is not easy. Is that advice? There is a quote that says this more eloquently, but I can’t recall it… however, the notion that living an interesting life is the best way to make interesting work rings true. I have always been drawn to work that is made from ‘within’, longer term projects that allow for observation over time. My MFA advisor once told me, “You have to be obsessed.” I found that annoying at the time, but turns out he was correct. There is a lot of successful work made from the creative contact high of a new environment, but I wonder if it ages well. I don’t know if I am answering these questions… advice… photograph more. fail harder. copy everything. read everything. look for beauty. be incredibly nice to people that let you photograph them. avoid cheap shots.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Ross Gay has two books, The Book of Delights and The Book of (More) Delights. They are both amazing and I recommend buying them. Actually, I think ALL of his books are incredible. Ross doesn’t know me, I am just a super fan. I keep these books within reach and they serve as a reminder to breathe, find beauty, enjoy life and maybe become a better forager. When I read his work I feel that he gives himself great freedom to experience the world, and what better advice is there? Life goes quick and I want everyone to be able to enjoy the little things. There are, perhaps, privilege alarms going off with such a statement, and I understand that… but I still believe in the power of art.

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©2025 Corey Hendrickson – All Rights Reserved.

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