Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Hernandez.
Jason, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I was eleven, my family (parents, sister, and grandparents included) moved to the US after waiting ten years for our legal residency status. I still remember the thrill, excitement, and the butterflies I felt as we drove across San Diego and got closer to our destination, Vista CA. The first couple of years that passed, I struggled to learn English, but my biggest challenge became the confidence I had in myself.
At the age of 13, my family received news that my grandmother had colon cancer. This brought two years of pain upon my grandmother and scars that still haunt us today. One regular and odd day, my grandmother asked me to take a photo with her. For a second, I became worried. I thought, “Is she planning to give up already?” Fortunately, I knew my grandmother was strong.
So, I took the picture. After she passed away, I felt regret and knew I couldn’t get her back, but slowly I began to notice something. Even though I had an iPhone 4, which by today’s standards didn’t have a very good camera, I looked at each and every picture and felt peace, happiness, and a sudden rush of memories that made me feel calm and made me feel her presence. This is the moment I like to believe made me feel a connection with photography. As the years passed, I kept the photos of my grandmother, but I never really got further into the practice of photography. After I graduated high school and began to take classes at Palomar College, I met a friend, Elvin Diego who further introduced me to the College’s photography department. Since then, I have fallen in love with photography and the ability to capture moments that, in the future, will make people feel the same joy and presence that I felt once when I thought it was all over. The same joy that got me back up and made me remember the value of a photo and the impact it can have in re-living the moment and reliving the love that was present.
Has it been a smooth road?
Along the way, I have experienced monetary limitations, I have experienced stress, especially when a wedding went bad or when it seemed like I didn’t have a chance to make a living off of my passion. I did and still do experience long editing days, some I only get to sleep two hours, but in the end, the passion keeps winning. One other main struggle I have been experiencing is that Photography is a hard career if what you desire is a stable income. I do have to admit that I still have a part-time job in which I work that helps me feel at ease knowing that I will at least be able to eat that week, but the beautiful thing about photography is that when you do it right, people see your talent, they see the hours you spend behind a screen, and they see your personality and ultimately that is what they decide to invest in.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I shoot every wedding, and at the same time, I edit all the photos taken during that wedding. I am known more for my photos compared to my editing. I do believe Photography is an art, for this reason, I always make sure that every photograph is distinguishable enough from the previous one but also has the same impact on any couple is that they remember and cherish the moment “until death does them apart”. As a company, our goal is to expand into other areas like Portraiture, Commercial Photography, and Social Media Marketing. As of now, we have signed a Marketing contract with two churches ever since 2018, and have been able to photograph several weddings and also Church events that included two large events in 2019 that included upwards of 1,200 people and five churches. When it comes to our wedding photography, one thing we strongly believe in is that you should be able to easily download any photos that we take at no extra charge at any time. So, with us, you get your own cloud server folder with all the images provided for you for two years, and after that, we can make them available again for 1.99 a month upon request.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
One thing is for sure; San Diego County is a competitive place for ANY business. Whether you are planning on creating a photography business, video business, marketing business, coffee shop, or even a local taco shop. In San Diego, you have the opportunity and the chance to do so, and with determination and hard work, you can definitely be successful. Before you start a business, definitely sit down and calculate first who your target market is and what is your type of target audience. This will save you a headache if you are able to pre-plan this before opening your business. There is nothing worst then opening a business that you love in an area where your business is not loved.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hernandezjason.com
- Phone: 6195356401
- Email: mail@hernandezjason.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonarher/
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