Innocence

Waiting for Wedding Debut
Dallas, TX

"When we are children we seldom think of the future.

This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can.

The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind."
-Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

Last week on the spur of the moment a friend of mine realized that her bride wanted a second photographer to shoot her wedding too. Fortunately I happened to be on FaceBook when I saw her distress message to other local photographers for help. Given that I really had nothing else going on that Saturday, I volunteered to help.

When I got there I could see the relief on my friend's face. As I turned and looked at the bride, I could see that the bride was shall we say "intense".  I made my cameo appearance in front of the bride to assuage the situation and proceeded to go about my business of taking photos from a different perspective. 

Two of the subjects who completely got me relaxed and in the moment were two little girls in the wedding party. They were happy and content all dressed up daintily as if they were ready for some form of impressionist portrait session. I could not help but notice the pure innocence on their faces and simple beauty. They were totally wrapped up in the present and not in the least bit as fretful as the bride. Had I my druthers, I would have simply spent  my time with the two precious girls. The girls were simply playing make believe but as themselves: little princesses and Cinderellas.

The clock was moving and reality was setting in. It was time for me to find my perch in an unfamiliar Catholic church. Had to find out what the rules were for flash and if so when. Had to digest quickly what would work and what would not. My mind was busy and I could feel my stress and anxiety creep in.

Wedding
St. Thomas Aquinas
Dallas, TX

The only thing I could do was to start looking through my view finder and taking test shots to determine what would work. The lighting of course was poor and mixed between tungsten and some natural light. It was time to jack up the ISO and pray for the best; after all, it was a Catholic wedding so I should have plenty of time and notice in between homilies and communion and God knows what else. I began to shoot from my perch near the pipe organ. Scoped out my subjects: the bride and groom. What can I do to make this work?

Keeping in mind that for me I already had taken my best shots; I focused on the actual ceremony and worked my real assignment. Compared to what I had just captured it seemed somewhat anticlimatic. I focused and pressed the shutter release and kept looking for other drama to unfold. It was good it was all good. I kept thinking about the innocence of the little girls and I thought of my own grand daughter who now was walking and how soon she would grow up. No I didn't want to think about that.

Splendid Moment

Shelby Cavallaro Thompson
Highland Park Presbyterian
Dallas, TX

Had an opportunity to photo witness the union of Shelby and Jon at Highland Park Presbyterian. Now I am trying to recreate what transpired. That's what a photographer does with his photographic two dimensional piece of history.

After viewing and selecting this image, I wondered how best to tell the elements of the story. As I was shooting the image, this idea came to me. Shelby's mom, Laurie mentioned out loud that she didn't have a bridal portrait. It seems that the bride was very self-conscious and didn't see what the big deal was. Not only was it her wedding day, but Shelby looked absolutely stunning in her regal gown.

It took most of yesterday to work on this image. I even placed a call to a Photoshop guru, Katrin Eismann, to help me with issues with shadows. In the end, after experimenting, my decision was to create my own style. The results, I feel were both dramatic, dreamy, and bold.

www.photographybyalhernandez.com

From My Perspective

Wedding Pageantry Fit for a Princess
Highland Park Presbyterian
Dallas, TX

Last week was hectic to say the least. At the beginning of the week, I was chasing leaves and waterfalls, by the weeks end, I was perched on a church balcony positioning myself for a different kind of landscape. Either way, I aim to photograph and archive what is beautiful and add a third and fourth dimension of my feeling. It's my way of reaching out to you the viewer. I want you to feel the same as me if not more.

Shelby & Jon

Some feel that the job of wedding photography is thankless. I think that if its left to up to the point and shoot photographers who just happen to have a camera, it is not only thankless but meaningless. The value lies in the experience and sentiment placed during the post production process. Images about emotion must convey it. It's not just about getting the perfect exposure and sharp detail. The real details are in the intangibles.

For nearly a half a century, I've left room in my heart for passion, romance, and feelings. These elements define who I am as a person, husband, and a friend. My photography conveys what my words otherwise cannot.

Like I learned years ago in my latin class, I still feel, amor vincit omnia. Love truly does conquer all. For some "love changes everything."

www.photographybyalhernandez.com

Day Of

True Love
Shelby & Jon
Highland Park Presbyterian Church

Was asked to shoot a wedding party after the wedding ceremony. In most places the assignment is not difficult but at this venue, photographers are not allowed to setup their camera gear in advance of the shoot. Had it not been for my good friend Carl Nastoupil, I wouldn't have been able to have completed the assignment in the allotted time. Had to set up off camera flashes, portable batter packs and stands all within minutes after the wedding ceremony. 

True Love
In Black & White

It's very stressful and few know what the photographer has in mind. You have to create on the fly and pray that everything works just right. Of course nothing ever works just right. Equipment fails, flashes wont fire, assistants don't show up, people move, and blink, and little kids wander off before the final shots are taken. You control very little other than your patience. All the time, you are thinking, composing, and praying for an outcome that meets both your and your client's expectations. The clock ticks, it doesn't wait for you.

If there are re-do's you must get it done now. There are no second chances and no room for error. You are the professional, you must get it done. No excuses, you have to deliver a product that will be archived a life time. This is it. Get it done and don't look back.

Did you get it? Oh, you have a couple other suggestions? Not a problem. "It's your day. I am here to serve you to make your day a memorable one for you and your groom and all of your family and the wedding party too." We laugh in between the frames and flash fires. "Oops we missed it. Who blinked? Let's try again."

"Can you shoot a shot of our hands placed on the Bible? It means something to us." Our vows are sacred you know. Yes, I understand let's compose this quickly. I have something in mind. My assistant follows me intuitively and sets up the lights. "Let's try several different angles. We are almost done."

"Oh...the entrance of the bride and groom do you think we can get that right? The church didn't want flash entering into the scene during the ceremony. Do you have any ideas?" 

"Yes, let's recreate the scene." My assistant follows me on cue. Flash in hand, we set up the shot we rehearsed prior to the wedding. The exposures weren't coming out exactly right. The lighting was now different. I make last minute adjustments and fire my shots. This will have to work now.

Time does not wait. I look down at my iPhone and note that its time to end our session. The church clears and the sexton busily cleans up. We still work, disassembling camera gear and stands, taking inventory of equipment, and wiping all the sweat off of our brows. Lots of work. Lots of satisfaction.

www.photographybyalhernandez.com

Reinvent Yourself

Self-Portrait
iPhone Artistry

"When we can no longer change a situation,

we are challenged to change ourselves."

Viktor Frankl

In nature, metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. We commonly witness this process in insects and amphibians. The process is typically accompanied by noticeable changes of habitat or behavior. A very real transformation takes place usually in an abbreviated time span.

Self Portrait: Il Fotografo

Several years ago, I too began a metamorphosis. Its catalyst was the fact that I could no longer change my situation. As much as I tried to get back into the corporate world and fit into the many careers I had held nothing seemed to take any more. Like the Viktor Frankl quote, I was challenged to transform myself. The artist and photographer which had always been present in my life came to the surface. It found and opportunity to emerge and transform me.

It's been a painful process coming out of the corporate cocoon, shedding the comforts of the skin, and learning to fly with new found wings. This is far from the end of my journey, but rather it is the beginning of my new life as an artist and photographer. There's no looking back now. I've shed what's held me back. With the help of my friends and the sacrifice of my wife, the metamorphosis continues as I explore new creative options. Its all unchartered territory for me.

You see it in my work from the fine art landscapes to the weddings and engagements with a fine art flair. As an artist I am finding my voice. It's important to not only express myself but to also convey the emotions that I am experiencing while on the metamorphosis journey. The safety nets are long gone all that I have to rely on are my skills: survival, finance, marketing, and photography. This is now me; the metamorphosis has exposed the real me. 

Many of you are now faced with similar issues. While we all can't be artists, we can choose to transform ourselves. We are resilient and all of us have more than one dimension. Changes beckons us to adapt and to also change ourselves. Take the opportunity to reinvent yourself.

Capturing Emotion

Madre y Novios
Fort Worth, TX

Marriage is the golden ring in a chain whose

beginning is a glance and whose ending is eternity.

~ Kahil Gibran ~

Yesterday was a day spent digging deep for inspiration. At first it simply would not come; on a quest during the day, I sought the comfort of other photographers and talked about everything it seemed under the sun. Just was looking for some kind of spark to ignite the creative process in me.

Creativity begets creativity. By the day's end several projects came to mind and appeared resolutely as the fog lifted. One of the images, I chose to revisit was Madre y Novios (Mother, Bride & Groom). Decided to use various luminosity techniques for both interest and help tell a story. The bride obviously is the story but behind her is (perhaps watching) an unknown matron. We can see that the matrons face is clearly obscured by the lense's depth of field and we can only see the groom's profile. Both Bride and groom are pensive and reflective of words being said. The bride is not really melancholic; there's bitter sweet joy on her face.

Had I not reached out yesterday, to my friends, I don't think my emotions would have surfaced enough to recreate this special moment. For years, I've wondered why I was so sensitive. Now with my camera it bubbles to the surface and the opportunity arises to share them with my audience.  My process is about feelings and emotion. Art relies on the senses it's origins are metaphysical and translated back into the physical. Feeling is part of living. Suppressing feelings only detracts from living. We were made to feel and be moved. As a photo artist, I choose to capture a sense and recreate moods. If only, Rembrandt and the other masters were here to teach me.

Tell The Story

Novios Bailando
Fort Worth, TX

“Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music.” 

-George Carlin

Behind a photograph there's a story. As I prepare for an event such as a wedding, I try to get to know the couple and their story. By the day of the wedding, I want to be able to not only capture the image, but to also convey the story. The only way this can happen is for me to allow my feelings to come into play; I try to open up my senses and I jot down my notes with each shutter release.

During the wedding ceremony itself, I am not simply trying to witness the moment, but rather I am trying to archive the emotion of that moment. As the photographer,via the lens, I act as the emotional witness to the event. Since it is mechanical, it relies on my intuitive judgement of the day. The more I know about the couple, the more likely I am to capture a meaningful image.

During Sarah and Camron Burke's wedding, the minister referred to a lone lit candle which was lit early in the ceremony. He mentioned that it represented the spirit of the bride's departed mother. He implied that she was present in spirit with Sarah on her wedding day. About that moment, I saw Sarah look down a little forlorn and holding back her natural sadness about her mom. I took the shot to capture the emotion. Keeping in mind her story and the moment. In a photojournalistic way, I caught what could be construed as perhaps Sarah's mother (a matronly lady in the wall portrait) looking over her daughter's shoulder.

No, I didn't plan it that way, but if I had not allowed myself to feel and take the time to understand, this shot never would have happened. It's an interesting contradiction that what I suppressed all these years (feelings) is now what makes my photography distinct. My work is not just about adding a Photoshop filter or effect. It's much more than that and will always be about warmth and emotion.

Creative Space

Beautiful Bride
Amanda Leger Fierro

In less than two weeks, I'll have another wedding to shoot. My assignment from now until then will be to think of new ways to capture the beauty of that day's moment and at the same time allow the bride and groom along with guests to enjoy the celebration.

The event will be held at a historic Fort Worth location with plenty of detailed charm. Somehow I want to incorporate all of it and use it as my props to make fantastic photos for my client. This is completely different than working under a controlled studio setting. The variables are endless and anything can happen that day. Regardless, the shots must be taken without hesitation and they must be second nature.

From now until then, there's a storyboard that needs to be plotted out. It must run seamlessly. I am excited about it including the vintage elevator complete with iron gate. let's see what happens. I'm sure I will dream about it many times before now and then.

Getting Ready

Reception and Shoes
Dallas, TX

I remember when I was in school, they would ask, 'What are you going to be when you grow up?' and then you'd have to draw a picture of it. I drew a picture of myself as a bride.

Gwen Stefani

Before I shoot a wedding, I like to prepare mentally. It's as if I were an actor preparing my lines for a lead role. I try to envision the choreography of the day: preparation, ceremony, portraits, and reception. If possible, I try to get to know the wedding party and other cast members. If there's a story, I want to be able to tell it.

Plenty of detail goes into wedding preparation. Most of it has been mentally laid out since childhood. Now in the digital age, details appear on dream books in Pinterest and Facebook. My job is to notice all the details, to let my senses feel, and to capture them in fractions of seconds. I totally have to put myself in the mood of the scene and it's setting weeks beforehand.

In a few weeks, I will be casting another wedding. Already, I've tried to create my own storybook to shoot from. For the next several weeks, all of my thoughts will be focused on roughly eight to twelve hours of shooting. There will be no do overs and so I know that it has to be done right. My heart is ready as is my eye.

Finding the Extraordinary

Mystical Mass
Amanda and Cory Fierro's Wedding
Keller, TX

When working behind the camera viewfinder, you enjoy a world of a 3x2 format. Everything is neatly framed from one corner to the next. What we capture can range from mundane to extraordinary. Truthfully in the digital age a greater number of captures fall in the "so what" category.

Shooting an event doesn't necessarily lend itself to the same skills required by fine art photography. Yet for me, finding that one image that could become something else makes the pursuit worthwhile. It provides me with a positive incentive.

After pouring over nearly two thousand frames from a recent wedding, I found one image that caught my attention. Not only did the image tell its own story but possessed a shroud of mystery.

As I processed the image, I worked towards enhancing the details captured by that moment. The priest's raised hands over the scriptures and sacrament were enhanced by the backlit altar and chalice. The scene of the Holy Eucharist came to life. The scene was made complete by the glow surrounding the Eucharist. It was as if the camera actually caught the aura of a sacred moment. It may very well have or so I would like to believe.

Faith and hope are intangible things. While despair brings us down and perhaps to our knees, faith and hope raise us up to our feet and spring us into action. Not one mother or father wants their child to have it worse than them. We live with the hope that it will be better someday, somehow, and somewhere. We have a choice: we can either be lifted up by hope or we can allow ourselves to live in despair. Both are equally real, but one motivates while the other drains us of our energy.

Been Busy

Aliana Lansing
Roanoke, TX

It's seems like forever since my last assault on the keyboards. Two back to back weddings and a quick photo job, plus my part time driver job, afforded me very little personal time. All of it is good, because it adds to the sorely needed cash flows. 

Al Hernández: At Work
Photo by Carter Love

For the first time in a very long while, I am utilizing all of my skills to stay afloat. The lifetime I spent keeping large corporations out of financial trouble is finally assisting me too. While I am an artist, I still understand the not so subtle financial art of surviving. I just would rather paint with images than deal only with financial matters.

Every opportunity that I have to invest in my passion and create images, I take on. It is something I truly enjoy. For the most part, I incorporate my fine art passions even in my commercial work. To me, it's all about creativity and self expression.

The two young ladies who posed for me in these images had very little clues just how attractive they were. It had nothing to do with their obvious youth, but rather their beautiful eyes and bright smiles.

Working with both ambient light and camera flash, I was able to render pleasing results that captured the anticipation they both felt on the eve of their friend's wedding. One was in the wedding party the other was helping the girls get ready. Before I knew it, I was able to create good captures without the benefit of a studio.

Life is good even when times are tough. The camera and my current situation have forced me to change my outlook and my attitude. It could also be the thought that my wife has written on one of her boards here at the house has finally taken hold:  "Just when the caterpillar thought it was all over; it became a butterfly." I must say there have been many times, I've thought it was all over. Now I recognize that it's far from over, I'm just metamorphosing. Suppose, I should prepare my wings. Sometimes the end of something is simply the beginning of something else greater.

No, I am not attempting to gloss over harsh facts or attempting to be Polyannic. It just seems to me that I am on a different trajectory than before; that the certainty of uncertainty is now a constant that I will have to be comfortable with. It could very well be that this where I need to be spending my energy, creating and doing something I enjoy for the rest of my life. No one will tell me again that I can't be part of the team or that my services are no longer required. It's my turn now. Yes, I've been busy, but it's all good.

The Princess and The Photographer

Regal Simplicity

"Of course, I do have a slight advantage over the rest of you. It helps in a pinch to be able to remind your bride that you gave up a throne for her"

King Edward VIII

Once upon a time, in a land far away from New York, there lived a photographer who wanted to make young brides dreams come true. He had spent his life making corporate dreams and visions come true but the rewards left him hollow, void of feeling. He never knew why until he met an undiscovered princess.

The young lady, a princess in waiting, like the photographer  also didn't know her own qualities. She searched for the right photographer who would be able to capture her wedding day with her prince. When the day came for the photographer to meet the young woman, his eyes grew as he envisioned what the princess could not see. He would make her a princess before her own eyes.

Prior her wedding day, the photographer took the undiscovered princess to a dreamy castle, a place appropriate for a photographic coronation. He knew in his heart that this location would be befitting a princess in waiting. 

When the princess arrived at the castle in her simple chariot; she was amazed and nervous, a bit overwhelmed. The photographer was equally amazed but not at her nervousness but at her inner beauty that matched her regalness. Before she even changed into her wedding regalia he could see her majesty.

Inspired by what he saw and how he felt, the photographer began to photograph her majesty, fit for a prince. Together the princess and photographer worked along with their entourage to create with light what the photographer could sense and see.

"You are beautiful." The photographer whispered as he shot his frames. "You don't truly know how beautiful you are but I will show you and others forever." He worked quickly trying to use his allotted castle time wisely. They had started early in the morn but at the stroke of twelve, at noon, the proper owners of the castle would return.

After many visions, locations, and changes, the photographer and the princess's work came to a close. "May I see what you've done thus far?" She inquired. He held out his camera to the young uncoronated princess to view. 

"I hope these please your majesty; your beauty is worthy of a king." Your servant simply tried to capture you in the best possible light and how your majesty truly is. The princess smiled broadly as she viewed the images in awe. She never thought that she was a princess let alone worthy of a prince. Now she knew better.

All fairy tales end with happily ever after. I am happy to report that the both the new princess and photographer will both live happily ever after because they had the privilege of working with each other.

The END

If You Can Dream

Princess in Waiting
Westlake, TX

This past Sunday was a fantastic productive day. The day finally arrived that my client had been waiting for, the day of her bridal portraits. One of my friends, Kelly Bradley, was gracious enough to provide her home as my studio backdrop. It was the perfect dreamy setting to cast my princess client. She belonged their like a damsel waiting for her prince.

Kelly & Scott Bradley's Home
Westlake, TX

It all started with a dream several weeks ago: a dream to tell a fairy tale starting with "once upon a time" and ending with "happily ever after".  Tell me doesn't every daddy's girl want to hear this story?

Sunday afforded me the vicarious opportunity behind the lens to be a romantic father. "Little girl you've grown into a woman and I am so proud of you. Even though it will break my heart to give you away, I know he will love you more than me; so please let me love you one last time and make you happy by painting for you this image for you to gaze at for the rest of your life. I want you to remember how beautiful your were and will always be to me."

On Sunday sublimated dreams came true. Rather than focus on a career that only provided me with money, I focussed on a career that enables dreaming out loud. Behind the lens and through the viewfinder, I found my voice as I rediscovered passion in my life. For me the joy of connecting with someone else, making them smile, makes me smile more.

Several years have passed since I hit a major fork in the road. My indecisiveness plagued me but I was challenged to follow my heart and listen to the voice of passion and happiness.

To all my friends out there, trust me, and I will showcase your princess as if she were my own. To my princesses, "if you can dream," together we can make them come true and record them for a lifetime for you to view.