Fausto Hernandez Photography, wedding, portrait and commercial photographer

Band Promo

2010-06-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of working with a talented musician, Rebecca De La Torre, she is a pianist and singer, solo artist and in a the band Water Shade.
We hit it off on the very first conversation we had, she described to me what she wanted and I was able to bounce some ideas that I had which according to Rebecca matched just right to what she was thinking.
We decided to shoot in 4 different locations, 3 of those locations would be in Phoenix, down town and the other was 2 1/2 hours away in Camp Verde.

Flowers in the garden

2009-12-28T13:17:00.000-08:00

We have a little garden in our yard, gets watered three times a week. I pay close attention to the vegetables and fruits for they require it. The flowers on the other hand sometimes go unattended for days, unnoticed almost neglected.
Here they are to be seen and admired, enjoy.

Current Update

2009-12-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

Bad news first. Lost all my images on my hard drive. It is a huge loss, but I am not too worried about it yet.

Jen, Bennett and I decided to have a white Christmas. We drove to Flagstaff, stayed 2 nights at a motel and had a blast. This was Bennett's first time playing in the snow and we looked forward to the experience.

It was too cold for my hands, they wanted back into those warm snow gloves. So I did not take as many pictures as I would have liked to.

I little fun at Hanny's

2009-12-19T19:09:00.000-08:00

Before any photo shoot, whether it be a wedding, portraits or just explore my imagination. I tend to have a plan in mind. Not exactly a plan but a direction, an aim at creative energy . My desire to project an idea can some times be so strong that I go on spontaneous drives. Either to scout for new locations or shoot around town with my camera and tripod.

The photo shoot at Hanny's came out as planned. I wanted a commercial, magazine spread look and feel. I loved the pictures and we were all happy with the results.
What happened next was spontaneous and very clever. I little cliche but always fun to do. This was the idea of the model Justine the girl in the picture. PJ was all for it and immediately gave his input and threw in more ideas. This is the before and after.

Photo Shoot at Hanny's

2009-12-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

This is photo shoot at at Hanny's Restaurant/Bar in Down town PHX.
Head shots and portraits was the theme.

Model Wife?

2009-12-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

This is who I practice with. She gets to sit pretty while I dash around her like a mad scientist in a lab coat experimenting with contraptions. Strobes hang from stands, light panels stand on tripods and flash heads fit on grips.

My practice photo session for portraits and head shots.

Wedding Day

2009-12-07T21:42:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, I have a ton to talk about with no time to tell it. It is not every day that this happens, I normally dont have much to say other than what I have to.
I'll start with the photo shoot from the wedding back in Nov 8th.

I like to prepare my camera setting just to keep ahead of the game and feel at ease. My issues was, the sun kept peeking in and out of trees and buiding making a nightmare for my camera settings. Sometimes the couples were in a shaded area and sometimes in the bright glow of the sun.

At the end of the day, with all the little issues out of the way, the day went perfect for Paolo and Miranda. I wish them the best in life.

Pre Wedding Photography

2009-10-26T20:27:00.001-07:00

This is Paulo and Maranda. Wedding photography.

A lot of fun to work with, as serious as they look in the photos, their spontaneous personalities made it easy and enjoyable to photograph as a couples and individuals as well.

Most of the posing came natural to Paulo and Miranda, with enough time they would fall into a comfortable pose and look straight at the camera. There was very little direction on my part leaving me free to compose the image and get the right light and exposure.

Paulo and Maranda own their own business, 3monkeys print & design. Paulo does graphic design and web pages. We were able to connect and combine our artistic views.

Jennifer and I can not wait for the wedding day, opportunities will be all over the place to photograph. I will need to be ready with an ever lasting supply of memory cards, for there wont be a lack of unforgettable moments to capture.

Head Shots, Model Portraits.

2009-10-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

A last minute photo shoot.
Received a call from a client for portrait and head shots, two of his daughters were invited to a casting call and needed portraits. Asked if I could come over that same night. The casting call was on Saturday the very next morning. Rounded up my camera gear, tripods, flags, stobes and memory cards.

We started shooting at around 11pm, we took the last shot at around 1:45am.
Crystal made the photo shoot go by quick, she knew how to pose and work the camera. She was not afraid to look into the camera. Great personality, hope she gets the part.

Wedding Photographer

2009-10-11T00:13:00.000-07:00

I can't say I don't like the process that a wedding photographer has to go through, it is hard work to photograph a wedding, lots of pressure and responsibility. Wedding photography can be fun though. But I will say I love the pre wedding and engagement photos. The wedding day with all its hustle and bustle is nerve racking for the wedding party and intense for the photographer. The calm before the storm, before the wedding day. These are the last pictures the couple will have before the vows are exchanged, ring finger taken, and a new last name.
I can trust my assistant to worry about the portraits and formal photography save the candid and intimate, the fun stuff, for me.

I will be the photographer for a wedding in November. I am working on the pre wedding photo ideas, decided to do it at Camp Verde. Talked about it with the couple, explained the session I had in mind and details, so we shoot next week.

I started working on the lights. I will be using portable strobes with a battery pack. I was able to take about 500 shots before the battery showed signs of slowing down. I was impressed.

I am posting some of the test shots, thought it might be interesting to see my work in progress. I started inside for the basic lighting style and moved outside for location and lighting positions.

Bennett loves to run around in his chonies, hence the cropping.

Posing with his pappa, Bennett was running around before bed. Notice the remote on my right hand.

Notice the remote on my right hand.

This is how bad lighting affects facial features. Notice the shadow that goes from my chin to my neck.

I bit better, the shadow on my right side is helping create a jaw line and highlighting my cheek bone.

Out of all the pictures, one is always a keeper.

Lighting the face has to be perfect, shadows in the right places and even tones all around. The outside pictures are the settings and composition, the groom will be sitting in the back ground with the bride on a large ottoman in front. Her dress will rest besides and in front of her.
We will be out in the woods and that will be the hardest light to control.
I'll post samples once I have em, till then cheers and happy Halloween.

My updates will be short and far between

2009-10-06T23:42:00.000-07:00

I am voluntaring at the DailySource.org as photo editor for their front page and secondary page. This experiance will definitively be useful for me as a journalist photographer. I will a the oppertunity to choose the bad and good images to attach images to the current news headline. I am excited about the opportunity but sad it will take up most of my time, as it is currently I have not been up to date on my blog.
I did update my web site @ faustohernandez.com, I worked extremly hard to make it look as sophisticated as possible and simple enough to understand my photographic direction and ability.

I leave you for now with these images that i recently took, they mean a lot to me as a husband and photographer.

Updates, portrait, commercial and current work

2009-10-06T00:31:00.000-07:00

Back from summer hibernation and just in time for Halloween, "el dia de los muertos" is around the corner. Muhaha!
Ill be back to post some portraits and commercial work. Looking forward to work with some prospective clients which include Mojo Yogurt and Block 1949. Stay tuned!

The results: Anti Tobacco Ad. The Portrait

2009-09-05T23:24:00.000-07:00

Portrait Photography- The challenge

2009-09-05T22:39:00.000-07:00

The Request: The portrait must convey one emotion, while the description alone invokes a highly emotional opposite feeling/response with a comment, title, or description.
This is why I love photography, the challenge.

Picture a perfect stranger

2009-08-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

As the sun went down and the campfires lite up, the light that remains gives us a different perspective. Light turns to different shades of color and shadows form solid lines declaring facial features.
We happened to share a fire pit with a group of people also looking to roast some mallows. As the night and laughs go on the bond between people changes the status from strangers to friends. I let the camera break the ice and start shooting pictures.

Huntington Beach California

2009-08-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

Back from California with a few stories to tell. Spending a couple of days at the beach, camping out, bon fires, and long walks on the beach.
Here are some snapshots and my attempt to do both, enjoy the family at the beach and capture the day as visually creative to share.

Reflections into the past

2009-07-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

I was reading up today, catching up, doing research and looking for inspiration. I do this daily, I believe the mind is worth expanding and ideas thereof are worth exploring.

I came across The Graduation Speech. If anyone remembers the 1997 you will relate and will be able to look back...lol
If you dont remember 20 years from now you will. Enjoy.

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97:

Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but known that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. You choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. WOrk hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.

Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts, and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Valley of the Sun.

2009-07-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

This is my 4th year in Az. and I still can not cope with this heat. The sun seems to suck the energy and creativity out of me as it does a grape into a raisin.

I was told before as a visual artist or any artist for that matter, to keep my creative thoughts flowing, do not let it go dormant. I was told creativity must keep flowing and will slowly reveal itself as an opportunity unexpected. I hold true to that advice and have come a long way with my photography.

I have a few things planned that will keep me busy. I have portrait session to do this Friday, with two beautiful women. Next week I'll be in SoCal for two photo sessions. Both of the shoots in SoCal will be portraits. One is for a sweet 16 celebration that is scheduled for next year and need images now for the invitations. The other is for client that wants pictures of her 2yr old grandson. she has only seen him a few times and wants to fill her home with images of him. Then in the first week of August I will be going to La Vegas to start documenting a cover band. I will be the fly on the wall as they prepare for the show the day before, during the show and the after party. Yes its sounds like it will be a blast but I figured it is equivalent to being the designated driver on a guys night out. Not to let that bother me, for my work is more important than a guys not out wasted and the only thing to show for it is suffering from a hang over. hahaha

Till next time.
I leave you this image untill next post. This is the Valley of the Sun.

The Garden

2009-06-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

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I am up earlier than usual today and I had a feeling I was missing something. I had a warm bagel and some coffee, went outside and enjoyed a cool cloudy morning. I was expecting to walk into the heat of the morning sun, sat on the bench by the garden and watched the insects run about their busy lives. The insects continued and paid no mind to my presence, the day continues regardless of
my awareness or lack thereof.

Francesca

2009-06-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

I am posting pictures of a shoot I did for a coworker, this is her daughter Francesca.

PHOENIX

2009-06-08T00:48:00.000-07:00

So here I am again after a few days of a dry spell with no ambition to create. I will share a story that kind of relates and will place perspective of the situation.

When I lived in SoCal, my friend Kevin Dumas and I would be at the beach at least twice a week. We were addicted to the power and beauty of the Ocean and Earth. The waves were an exhilarating rush of adrenalin.
We loved it, but the locals knew something we did not. Kevin and I would sit on our boards and notice there were periods with no wave in site. As calm as a lake.

Like the Earth and it cycles of life and movement, creativity that drives an artist with adrenalin and exitment also comes in cycles, as any seasoned artist. We learn to cope with it.

These two images are from downtown PHX. I have learned a bit of history that has me mesmerized. The past and it new direction is exiting. I feel the need to document this transformation. Though I may be late to the show, we will look forward to what we have now.
The San Carlos hotel has this Hollywood feel to it. It is on Monroe st. beautiful.

Downtown PHX

2009-05-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers day

2009-05-10T08:13:00.000-07:00

Happy mothers day to all the mothers out there. We love you and thank you for all you have done.

This is mother, Paula. I asked her to volunteer for me so I could get this type of lighting. She agreed and asked for me to make her look pretty. "Hide my wrinkles and sun spots" she said.

My mom has been a private person for as long as I can remember. She did not have too many friends and the ones that she did have were very kind and loving.

She would make a big pot of Atole, a Spanish rice water with cinnamon sticks and sugar. She would make enough to last the entire week, and enough for me to indulge myself with this fantastic dessert. I used to put some in a plastic cup, typically from Tupperware, and use a Popsicle stick or spoon and put it in the freezer. A frozen rock shaped like a cup, it would last for days. We would recycle the lump of frozen Atole , put it back into the cup and freeze it for later enjoyment.

She is a very gifted and caring Mother. I later discovered as I got older that we were extremely poor, but she always made sure we had our daily essentials of food, water and milk.

Mom would work two jobs as a seamstress in downtown, Los Angles. An immigrant, she has been here at 21 years of age; a young women married to my father. She only knew Spanish, yet she managed to find a job in sweatshop working as a seamstress. She would get home late, exhausted, ready to pass out and sleep. Mom would catch her 3rd or 4Th wind and start dinner, get us in the shower, and ready for the next day.
I told my Mom during the photo shoot, "You are going to see yourself through my eyes, Mom". She gave me a confused look and kept talking, and I kept adjusting my strobe lights and camera speed.

I explained to her the urge and need to do this photo. I told her how I felt, and the memories of her when I was young. I can recall vivid memories of her talking or doing things around the house and making dinner. The way she would scrub our heads with shampoo fiercely as though it was teaming with some sort of infestation. I wanted to thank her but I could not figure out how. So I told her why this photo meant so much to me.

When I see her deep wrinkles and sun spots, I know it was due to hard work, sacrifice and pain. The meaning of what my mother means to me, true beauty.

Quick update

2009-05-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update as to what I have planned.
I have a couple of photo shoots coming up. Some family portraits, senior pictures and a shoot in SoCal. I definitely look forward to visiting California. I will post a few pictures later from our last trip to California. For now I will post some recent senior pictures we did at the farm.

This is Bethany and this is her backyard. We had a good time making this happen. Bethanys' mom Michelle, my wife Jennifer and I were walking amongst the field looking for the best backdrop setting. This was towards the end of the shoot, we started at around 3pm and ended the day at around 6pm. I am ecstatic, the pictures turned out great and Bethany was happy. I understand she stared at her pictures for hours. Glad she enjoyed them.

Simmering Ideas

2009-05-06T01:52:00.000-07:00

I few days ago Jen, Bennett and I went out to Buckeye. Jen's grandma, aunt and uncle own a farm out there, so we took a nice drive to visit and have Bennett play and spend time with his great grandmother.
On the way out there I noticed a large stadium like structure out in the distance. It looked old and abandoned, the sun was setting behind it and light was reflecting inside. The light revealed large corridors and large lobby area. I believe it is an old race track.
The image lingered around for a while, I could not help it. I have this urge to wonder around and scout for shooting locations. I am sure this place must have endless possibilities.
I just completed my diy battery pack project. So I can take a couple of strobes on a battery pack that can last for hours. And just today I received my new lens. I got a Sigma 18-50mm f2.8, I consider it to be my perfect lens. Fast lens means low light conditions are not a problem. I get a nice wide angle for the architectural imagery and 50mm focal point for drastic head shots and portraits.
I got Bennett in action with the new Sigma lens. Bennett gets this burst of energy at night. It never fails, its so intense and unpredictable, its such a challenge. So I am adding a couple of pictures of Bennett exhausting his late night energy.

Terrie and Linda's Wedding

2009-05-03T17:04:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken on Monroe and Central, in down town PHX. Terrie Bowersock is the owner of Terrie's Consignment. I ran this idea across them one night as we discussed some locations to shoot in. They wanted something beautiful and magical, but not run of the mill type wedding pictures.
I spent days walking the streets of down town Phx. I was very impressed and inspired, the more I time I spent roaming and riding the Light Rail system back and forth, the more I fell in love with the this foreign place. The history of the this city is thick with bright lights and romatic soft lit streets and benches.
More to come on downtown Phx. lets continue...

Terrie and Linda were absolutely a blast to work with. ( I use the word "work" only in reference to my profession. It really does not feel like "work" thats for sure) Terrie was able to keep talking and whispering into Linda's ear,
making it so natueral and romantic. The entire night was magicle. This was the last picture we did, it was 11pm and we had been shooting at their house just a few hours ago. They had energy to spare, I loved it.

This picture was done at Terrie's house. Her home was perfect, of course she is the owner of a handfull of furniture stores which allows her to decorate with endless possiblities. Behind Terrie, the wall is a massive window so I had an amazing glow and strong light to work with.
Terrie was such a teas towards Linda, she loved the idea of having linda on one knee and begging. Notice Terrie's grin.

This picture was done with natural light and small beauty dish to gently light up Terries face. Linda in the background just gave the picture a perfect sense of distance and feel. Notice the Linda's pose she is relaxed, confident and is loving.

I will add larger images and most of the pictures on my website, visit FaustoHernandez.com

Jorge at Temepe Town Lakes

2009-02-20T11:36:00.001-08:00

My friend Jorge was perfect for this pose. He was able to maintain his posture and look professional. Notice the triangle shapes in this image. This photoshoot was done in Tempe Town Lakes. The buildings in the background are the new Hayden Ferry Corporate structures. Very nice place to take pictures. View more of Jorge at my Flickr Stream.

Alexa at Tempe Town Lake

2009-02-20T11:15:00.000-08:00

This is Alexa, she is my good friend and Model. Tempe Town lakes makes a fantastic settings for location photography. This image was shot with natural light and tripod. I was using my Nikon d80 with a 75-200mm lens. Alexa is natural at posing and easily relaxed, she knows how to interact with the camera and knows how to demand attention. I had an awesome time at this photoshoot and look forward to working with Alexa again. See other pictures of Alex at my Flicker Stream

2008-01-12T22:31:00.001-08:00

2008-01-06T19:16:00.000-08:00

Tempe Town Lake

2008-01-01T20:21:00.001-08:00