Selfportrait at the Pointe-à-Pitre airport. And just arrived in Paris early on the First of November morning (France)

Today I visited Sebastien Jean at his studio with a beautiful view. He is one of the most talented young haitian contemporary artists. I spent a nice moment with him and his son talking about his art. And I bought one of his amazing paintings (Port-au-Prince)

The great Lyonel Trouillot just after a poetry reading in a Port-au-Prince club and a passionate talk about Franketienne, with some of the best haitian writers (Haïti)

Nephtalie Bertin and Hermane Desormes sleeping on our way to Port-au-Prince for the presentation of the students work at l'Institut Français. And typical haitian portrait painting representing me (gift from my students during our successful Jacmel exhibition) (Haïti)

There is something similar in the eyes of Sevenson Joseph and some of his expressive paintings (Jacmel)

The haitian journalist Jacob Janvier just before interviewing me for RFI Jacmel (the local television) regarding my students upcoming exhibition (Jacmel)

Mesidor Willy may come from the moon. He's the strangest of my students, always asking surprising questions. Keziah told me he is well appreciated by the others (Jacmel)

Grazyna Krecka is the Director of l'Alliance Française de Jacmel. I know from our collaboration that she has a strong and good energy. Bellegarde Pierre Lucson is one of my students. He is introverted, shy and sensitive (Jacmel)

Lissa Jeannot is an extremely sensitive haitian artist. She's a ceramist and creates beautiful jewels. I visited her this week-end and we had a nice talk about her friends, the artists Maksaens Denis and Mario Benjamin, among many other things... (Cayes Jacmel)

Today, I visited Jean-Paul Chancy, my cousin. He is a maths teacher and organizes, every summer, an education program for teenagers. He introduced me to Marie-Mercie Andris, a young cinema student (Cayes Jacmel)

Garibaldi Jean is Keziah's brother, and a painter (Jacmel)

Keziah Jean modeling for two other students and Weegee Olivier Divers just arrived at the Minustah Multimedia Center for another day of photography study (Jacmel)

On the road with Hermane Desormes and my other students. From sun to rain. This is the hurricane season in Haïti (Jacmel)

Ralphden Laurent loves rice and women. He is one of my students. Belchair Lawrence is Willy Senatus brother. I met him at the Florita hotel, where they both live (Jacmel)

Nephtalie Bertin is one of my students. I love her voice. Especially when she speaks creole (Jacmel)

End of a warm and busy week-end, on the beach. And selfportrait alone in my room at night (Cayes-Jacmel & Jacmel))

This week-end, I visited my aunt Sulienne Jules. It's been 20 years I haven't seen her (Cayes-Jacmel)

I'm pleased and honored to stay at Mister Ronald Mevs place. He is a great painter, sculptor, houses builder and Haïti lover (Jacmel)

Willy Sénatus is one of my students. He lives in an amazing hotel. Emmanuel Noel is another of my students. He can really be funny (Jacmel)

Carlo Cardichon Junior is an haitian professional photographer and my student for a few weeks. He reminds me of my father when he was younger. And a view from Jacmel bay at the end of the day (Haïti)

Keziah Jean is my assistant for the workshop project I'm organizing in Haïti. She's sweet and motivated (Jacmel)

Selfportrait just arrived in Jacmel. Terrible stormy weather. Very tired but happy (Haïti)

Today, I ran into the talented haitian poet James Noël back from Europe, having a whisky in the Pointe-à-Pitre airport transit area while waiting for the next flight to Port-au-Prince (Guadeloupe)

ROOTS

Tomorrow, I will travel to Jacmel, in Haiti, where both my parents grew up. I was born in this country, but had to leave it when I was still a baby.
I haven't returned there for 20 years now and have been preparing this journey for a long time in order to get back with a relevant project.

During 3 weeks, I am going to run a photography workshop for young Haitians. My intention is to share as much of my knowledge about photography as possible  with them. 
Portrait Lab will therefore be carried on in a new human environment that you will be discovering along with me.

During these 3 weeks, I will also be working on another personal project. 
I have very often been asked what is the link between my Haitian background and my work. As it remains difficult for me to verbalize an answer to this intricate question, I will work to produce it through images.

Part of this work will be posted on my website www.henryroy.com when I get back.
Translated from French by Adélaïde Gomes

The Japanese stylist Shino Itoi looks like a well-behaved girl when she smiles, but when I had the opportunity to collaborate with her, I've been impressed by her ability to work hard (Paris)

Lucas Devillers studies music, plays guitar and works occasionally as a babysitter in my neighbourhood. This summer, I shot him for an english fashion magazine for men (Paris)

Nicolas Poirier is a cool guy. He works as a Creative Director in his own advertising company, and loves photography and 60's-70's american lifestyle. I had the pleasure to collaborate with him on a magazine and exhibition project this year (Paris)

Johann Blot is a young musician living in my neighbourhood. I met him late in the evening in a bar down my building where he was hanging around with his band. He told me he was completely drunk (Paris)

Last time I've seen the graphic designer Adeline Besse, she was a bit lost. About one year ago, she sent me an e-mail to let me know she just had a baby. We had a drink this afternoon, and talked about kids and couples relationships. She was tired and melancholic, what made her charming (Paris)