Paul H. Henning’s background in the visual communication industry goes back to 1974 when he founded a fine art photography gallery while simultaneously shooting photo assignments. In 1977 he closed the gallery in order to pursue a full-time career in audio-visual, corporate, and editorial photography.
During the 1980s, Henning’s corporate assignments took him throughout the country as well as outside the USA on several occasions, most notably shooting a 6-week, around-the-world multi-image assignment for AT&T International in 1983, and a 2-week assignment in Europe in 1986 for Coca Cola's Centennial multi-image production.
Henning co-founded Third Coast Stock Source Inc., a general subject professional stock picture agency, in 1985. By the end of 1989 it had grown to include over 150,000 images produced by 90 contributing photographers from around the USA. Third Coast served a nationwide roster of commercial, editorial and corporate clients, enabling Henning to cease assignment photography in December of ’89 to function as the stock agency's director. His areas of responsibility included: catalog design and production; advertising & marketing; legal issues; and establishment and maintenance of relationships with international affiliates in Europe, Canada, Japan and South America.
Henning was a prominent figure in the 1988 reorganization of the Picture Agency Council of America (PACA), the North American trade organization for stock picture agencies which has now become DMLA (Digital Media Licensing Association). He served as that organization's Membership Chairperson and vice president prior to assuming the organization's presidency in 1992, after which he continued to serve on that organization's Executive Committee as Immediate Past President until 1996.
In the autumn of 1997 Henning and his partners sold Third Coast and Henning began a stint in London, England as Manager of European Operations for Comstock, Inc., a stock picture agency then headquartered in New York. Henning had overall responsibility for the performance of Comstock's three European offices (London, Paris and Berlin) as well as developing the company's future strategy for expansion in European markets.
Feeling the desire to pursue a professional path more closely attuned to his creative and business interests, Henning left Comstock in 1999 to launch Stock Answers, a consultancy that offered marketing, business and strategic planning services to picture agencies and stock photographers. One of Henning’s first consulting clients, the Robert Harding Picture Library, invited him to serve as the London company’s Acting Managing Director, a relationship which stretched out to nine months. Many more agencies and photographers followed as clients, but Stock Answers’ 17-year run coincided with momentous changes and upheavals in the stock picture industry so, as 2017 approached, the time was right for Henning to work with a broader range of creative professionals. Hence, the launch of cr8vstrategy!
Henning lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has a 26-year old son who graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in May of 2017. Henning's business activities have often been augmented by teaching and writing about the picture industry as well as participating in frequent industry seminars and presentations. He balances out his professional life with interests that include bicycling, kayaking, skiing & snowshoeing, music and travel.
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| cr8vstrategy founder & chief creative strategist Paul H. Henning |
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