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Henry Seipel-Parks started taking pictures when he was 2 years old.

“We first gave Henry a camera when he was 2 years old,” said his mother, Kim Seipel-Parks. “As soon as we gave it to him, he started shooting right away. First we gave him a Fisher Price toy camera, but once we saw he really started liking it, we gave him a digital Sony Camera when he turned 4.”

Seipel-Parks and her husband both went to the Savannah College of Art and Design and wanted to pass on their love for art to their children.

“We have both been into collecting art for years so it’s important for our children to experiment with that,” she said. “Along with the camera, we’ve given him all of our old stuff from art school.”

Henry and Seipel-Parks will both have their work exhibited in the “Next of Kin” art exhibit this Friday at the Foothills Arts Council.

While Henry’s work will be digital color photography, Seipel-Parks will be exhibiting black and white film photos.

“My degree is in photography and graphic design. When I started studying graphic design, introduction to photography was a required class,” she said. “I really fell in love with the whole dark room process. That was right at the transition of film and digital, so I only had one digital class.”

Seipel-Parks’ work in the exhibit will be a mix of self-portraits that represent traditional women’s roles such as marriage, motherhood and religion. The other half of her photos will be a documentary photo project of her grandparents who live in Elkin.

In contrast, Henry’s work will be a little bit of everything in his daily life, his mother said.

“He takes all of his pictures completely on his own, because he doesn’t like to be told what to do,” she said. “Until he says, ‘my memory card is full,’ I never know what is on there.”

Henry’s photos vary from photos of their dogs, interior landscapes such as walls and ceilings and still life photos that Henry sets up.

“He will take his toys and set them up in a certain way,” Seipel-Parks said. “Two of his photos in his show are of his favorite stuffed animal, Bunny.”

The gallery opening will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 10, at the Foothills Arts Council on 129 Church Street. Elkin Creek Vineyard will be pouring and Not Your Ordinary will be performing live music.

Reach Jessica Pickens at 835-1513 ext. 18 or jpickens@heartlandpublications.com.