By Jessica Dillon
Wenn Harold is an active member of the community who has worked in videography and filmmaking since high school. He is preparing for the release of his book, “Every Picture Tells a Story,” which explores the events that shaped his life and career.
Harold has been behind the camera for his church and the local news station BTW21. He also owns Wenning Studios, offering services such as wedding photography, music recording, video production, and graphic design. In addition, he teaches art for Martinsville City Public Schools.
Harold said his story began in high school in Bassett. “That’s when the ideas started and we’re playing it by certain teachers. Um, Errol Wallace, or Kip, as we called him, and James Whalen. They’re the ones that planted the bug in me to do videography and filmmaking.”
“This book goes beyond camera settings and techniques. It dives into the heart behind the lens—how emotion, intention, and perspective can turn ordinary moments into powerful stories. It’s about understanding why an image matters, not just how it was captured,” reads part of the book description.
Harold said the book started after a student asked about getting into video production. He began writing it “about a year and a half ago.”
“A bunch of the students come in and say, man, I want to do this video like you do, but I just don’t have the money for the equipment. I don’t have all that stuff. I said, you don’t need fancy equipment to tell a story. And they said, well, what are you talking about?”
“So it started with that, me just writing a thing for him, and it was only intended for that student, and I was going to do it. And he says, ‘You have a lot of information,’” Harold said. “A good story doesn’t need the best equipment. It doesn’t need the Sony’s, the giant things you have. You can do a cell phone, you can do an iPad. I’ve seen some people do movies with a Nintendo DS, which I think is absolutely incredible.”
“I wanted to use my experience that I’ve had, because I’ve had a unique experience working for TV, starting my own business, doing video weddings, everything from weddings, quinceañeras, to reunions, to funerals. I mean, I’ve done everything because everybody’s story deserves to be told.”
“This book is more for the creatives that just want to tell the story. I just ask them to tell it and just be a part of the moment as it is,” Harold said. The stories at the back of the book are drawn from his real-life experiences.
One story that stood out was his first NASCAR race. “I had never gotten an interview at a NASCAR race. So I was like, well, might as well do it. And I remember the camera was shaking and I don’t think we used any of that footage because I was just so nervous and I went starstruck because the guy who won the race at the time was not one of my favorites, but he became one of my favorites for the story in there.”
Harold said the book will be sold on Amazon and Kindle, but he is particularly interested in placing it in local bookstores. “That way I can sell it locally. Um, because I believe this is, it could be. No one ever writes a book and says I want to be a national bestseller, but I want it to help people.”
He said it took two months to edit and that he wanted the book to be accessible to all readers. “I was not a big reader. So I wanted to make sure if I could read it, everybody can read it because it’s simply put together. There’s no, you know, long definitions, but it it gives a little bit of hope to people that want to be creative and use their imagination a little differently, or to tell a story, because there’s a lot of stories out there that haven’t been told.”
“I would say probably 4th grade on up can read this, and I think it would be an interesting read for anybody that wants to get into this field of videography and media, because I’ve been told ever since doing it, it’s a very cutthroat industry, very cutthroat. But it’s very rewarding because when you get the story that you’re meant to tell, not what 5,000 other people are getting to tell, that’s the rewarding part.”
Harold highlighted a quote from the book that he hopes readers will take to heart: “So every project is another classroom. Every client is another teacher, and every mistake is another lesson.”
“Every Picture Tells a Story” will be available on Amazon starting Thursday, April 9, in both Kindle and physical formats. Harold encouraged readers to ask questions and engage with him.
“Read it, and see what you think, and read the stories in the back, and ask questions, because my website’s on there, my email’s on there, so they can ask questions. That’s why I wanted to be a very open book with this because I want to be a mentor, like my mentors were to me, and inspire that passion that I have for this industry and videography, photography, and graphics.”
