PORTLAND VENDOR GUIDE | CARLOS HERNANDEZ
We are happy to introduce our newest Portland Vendor Guide interview. Today we are interviewing Carlos Hernandez, a Portland wedding film photographer! We met Carlos through Kelsey Timberlake Events and had the pleasure of working with him and his wife, Athina. I could see why couples loved working with them. They are relaxed, professional, yet very kind and warm, great at asking others questions and actually hearing the answers, and on top of that, incredibly talented. Carlos has a keen eye for capturing gorgeous portraits, graceful movement and fleeting moments in an captivating and extraordinary way.
What values do you hold to the highest esteem in regards to being a photographer?
We think that integrity is the highest value one can have, being honest with everything you do goes a long way. I think the second one would be helpfulness. There is no job too low for us. During weddings we usually wear multiple hats. We do whatever we can to make sure that the couple has the best experience as possible on their special day.
What aspects of your personality or photographic vision do you feel are unique to your brand of photography?
We are a high-end photo studio and therefore you can expect high-end products and customer service, however, what I think sets us apart is something we keep hearing from couples. They rave about how at ease we make them feel through the whole process. We have been shooting weddings for about ten years now and know what to expect in just about every situation so we are pretty calm even in the most stressful moments.
You have cited the Renaissance masters and their "timeless" creations as being particularly formative to your personal artistic vision. What do you feel makes a photograph timeless and how do you aim to achieve that timelessness in your artwork?
Yes, we love the renaissance and the fine art that was created in that era. You can look at all those masterpieces and they are still be relevant today. Artists used the best tools for the trade and they did not rush anything. We now live in the era of instant gratification, but we feel that the best things in life are still handcrafted and take time to create. Therefore, our primary source of imagery is film photography. We are forced to be intentional with the shots we take and be more precise. We also strive to capture colors just as everyone saw them that day. Therefore, we do not use the newest, yet fast-fading trends. We call ourselves fine-art photographers because we are trying to not only capture the beautiful moments of a wedding but to also tell a story and communicate emotions with our images. As someone once said “ fine-art photography is photography created in accordance with the vision of the artist as a photographer, using photography as a medium to bring something to life that only lives in the artist's mind. Simply capturing what one sees in an artistic way is the art of photography and not creating fine art”. To complement our photography style, we have found some of the best handcrafters in the industry to provide our couples with beautiful handcrafted products to showcase our work.
In what ways must your workflow adapt when shooting an event with film rather than digital?
The workflow is very similar, with the difference that I have to send the film to the lab and it could take a few days to get the images back. I see it as a download that takes a few days. When I receive the film scans they are usually 90% ready so all I have to do is cull, slightly edit and create deliverables. I might be able to download images from digital cameras right after the wedding but the editing process is much longer. All in all, the process takes about the same time but with film, not only do I get better results, but I get more time to work in other aspects of my business or spend time with family.
Who are some of your favorite photographers or cinematographers and what qualities of their work do you appreciate?
Oh man, there are so many amazing photographers out there, that it is hard to pick just a few favorites, but I think I can narrow it down to a couple that are inspiring me right now, besides the obvious Jose Villa and Erich McVey. Annie Leibovitz has a way of giving enough direction where she is not changing the feeling of the whole scene. I think that as photographers we tend to have something in mind before we get to the shoot and try to force those scenarios, perhaps because they are familiar and we are used to them. I have been learning more and more to be able to capture the moment as it is happening with specific direction to the subject that doesn’t change the feeling of the scene. I have also been infatuated with the old masters such as street photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson who was able to capture candid moments that really spoke to that generation. I strive to take candid images in weddings to truly capture the day as it was. I could go on and on, but I will spare you and my geekiness.
If you had a list of “best-kept secrets” (books, mentors/coaches, podcasts, blogs, etc) you’d recommend to other business owners, which would you include and why?
All of us start our business with a passion to create art or provide a service that we are good at. We spend so much time refining our skills that sometimes we forget about the business side of, well, our business. We seem to not be so good at actually making a profit. If there is one thing I would recommend to other business owners, it would be to not forget about the importance of the not so glamorous but equally important part of our business. I would recommend reading anything you can get your hands on regarding marketing and good business practices.
Reading is an important common denominator amongst many of the biggest names in business. It's a fast way to acquire new information, think creatively, and diversify your perspective. Warren Buffett, arguably the most skilled investor of our time, said reading 500 pages a day was the key to success. "That's how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest."
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