In Memory of Pierre Henri, January 26, 1940 – December 19, 2017

Some people say that there are good subjects for photography and that there are bad ones, that there
are appropriate subjects and inappropriate ones.
I say photography is all about lighting and clarity, capturing a moment that’s gone forever,
impossible to reproduce.— Pierre Henri

Photograph of Pierre Henri in Stony Brook area ofHarriman State Park, NY © Charles Dexter

WE RECENTLY LEARNED of the death of Pierre Henri, a long time beloved member of Sierra Photo NYC, of complications from cancer on December 19, 2017. He is survived by his sister Carmen Henri Williams, his brother Raynaud Miles, his niece Tatiana, and nephews Rennie, Ray Ray and Dequan, along with a host of great-nieces and nephews.

Pierre was an engaging human being with a quiet sense of curiosity, humor and twinkle! Born in 1940 and raised in Manhattan, Pierre worked at Bergdorf Goodman, and Lord & Taylor before moving to Verizon where he worked for 25 years. However, his true passion was photography. In his earlier years, he freelanced, photographing weddings, fashion, portraits, and babies. He was a stringer for the Associated Press, and among his published news photos were intense close-ups of the 1967 Newark riots. According to his sister Carmen, “He spent days in the trenches working to get the perfect shot.” His love for travel and capturing the perfect image led him to explore far-off places such as Africa, India, China and Japan. He returned with fantastic photos.

Pierre joined camera clubs and participated in them fully. He felt his involvement with these groups enlarged and enriched his experience as a photographer. In additional to our group, he was a member of the Audubon camera club, SIG camera group, and the Park West Camera Club. His photos were exhibited at Lever House, Cornell Medical Library, Manhattan Borough President’s Office, Calumet, Ryan Health Center and Unibank in New York City. He also exhibited at the Greenwich Audubon Center in Connecticut.

We remember Pierre Henri best for his almost two decades with us as a member, including participating on our Board in 2003. As a quiet, patient observer of nature, his work was undeniably unique. He was consummate photographer of birds, insects, wildlife and landscapes. In fact, he spent a season documenting a family of hawks in Central Park as the chicks hatched and left the nest.

On our photo outings he would go off alone into the woods and sit, closely observing everything around him. He could sense all the camouflaged living creatures around them and capture them with his lens perfectly. This must have been when he was happiest! While we may have waited for him to return to the car at the end of the day, he always returned with perfect images! Worth the wait. And yes, they had amazing lighting and clarity! —Charles Dexter