Friday, July 22, 2011

Shout Out! | Nelly Hernandez Photography

I have been saving this shout out for today ... the one and only, amazing and awe-inspiring Miss Nelly, of Nelly Hernandez Photography. Nelly moved to North Dakota last year, and quickly has become one of my photographer idols and luckily for me - a good friend. Minot is lucky, because she is who I recommend all of my clients call for their photography needs!

Nelly Hernandez Photography

Nelly believes she is "one very lucky and blessed human being." She married her high school sweetheart., Jose, who "is an absolute A-M-A-Z-I-N-G husband who always puts others needs before his own." Jose and Nelly have three beautiful children, Marianela (AKA "Nenis"), 12; Jose (AKA "JR"), 7; and baby Isaiah, 3.

Nelly has been a photographer "since [her] past life ... However, it's only been almost two years since I found out I was a photographer in this life." Talking to her about photography, there's always this unwavering enthusiasm that I just love.


Nelly Hernandez Photography

Nelly says, "I have always loved taking photos. I remember taking photos with my 110mm film camera as a kid. It was actually my mom's, I just always found a way of borrowing it without her noticing it, lol. As a teenager my mom had a really cool kodak 35mm film camera, just your regular point and shoot and I always loved taking pics with that. Once I began to have children, my love for taking pics with my point and shoot grew. It wasn't until I had my third and youngest child that I finally got my first DSLR (nice expensive camera, lol). I wanted to be able to take really nice pics of my children and that is why I decided to learn more in depth photography."

Nelly's a girl after my own heart - she shoots with Nikon, just like me! She started off using the D90 and D60, but she is now shooting with a D700 - but her eye is on the D3X sometime in the near future. She also dreams of getting stationed in her home state of Texas, and opening up her own studio. To do so would be, in her own words, "a dream come true."


Nelly Hernandez Photography

No matter the equipment or location, Nelly's creative vision and talent shows. When I asked her what her favorite type of session was, her first reaction was "Yikes!" because she loves to do all kinds of sessions. But, if she had to pick just one - she'd choose boudoir. Why is that? Nelly says, "I love to be able to help a woman see how beautiful she is. Sometimes with the many demands of the world, us women tend to forget and overlook our inner as well as our outter beauty."

And that's the truth, right there.


Nelly Hernandez Photography

I always like to ask people what their favorite quote is. Not sure why, but I feel sometimes the words of others can have such a deep and profound influence on us as people ... so when I asked Nelly what her favorite quote was, I wasn't surprised that her choice were words spoken by Nelson Mandela:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of the Universe. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing so enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God which is within us. It is not in just some of us, it is in all of us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others."

I'm gonna tuck that quote away in my mental filing system. Absolutely beautiful, and words to live by.

 
Nelly Hernandez Photography
 
My last question for Nelly was about her best photography experience:
The best photography experience ever was one back in summer 2009. At the time little did I know that it would be one of the best experiences ever. It was the last summer I spent with my grandfather before he passed in November '09. I was visiting Texas, but I was living in Germany at the time. We went to the beach and my grandfather sat in this beach chair with this umbrella looking at the ocean. He had his pants rolled up with a coke in his hand. I took do many pics of him as he gazed out into the ocean, relaxing. He kept laughing at all of the kids running around and being silly and as he watched the kids bury the adults in the sand. I took many photos that day, most were of my family running around, they were action shots. But after returning home, I saw my favorite photos were those of my grandfather. To this day, it was one of the best experience ever and I am so happy and so very glad I did that. When I learned he had passed, before flying over to Texas from Germany I ordered some of those photos and that is what we used at the funeral home. Everyone was just so amazed at how happy and peaceful he looked in those photos.
And there you have it, Minot folks. If you're interested in booking a session or learning more about Nelly, I encourage you to check out her Facebook fan page, website and blog. She can be reached via email (nelly@nellyhernandezphotography.com) or by phone (956.346.5495).

2 comments:

  1. You are one sweetheart and definitely one extremely talented woman! I am still in denial you are leaving!!! :( Minot will surely miss you! -Nelly Hernandez

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  2. She is AMAZING. And that baby in the first pic is absolutely adorable...o wait he's mine.LOL

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