We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Edward Hernandez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Edward below.

Edward, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

What had started as a hobby eventually began to develop into something substantial that I am proud of and have become very invested in furthering its progress. However, although I have come a long way, there have been times when things got rather complicated and made me doubt myself. During these low points in my career, I have thought about pursuing a 9 to 5. Still, in doing so, I realized that not only would my life be completely different, but I would not be content with that job since I would constantly beat myself up for not pursuing my true passions. Of course, there are a lot of risks when it comes to going after a creative career, but I genuinely enjoy photography which has encouraged me to put in the work and do whatever possible to not only reach my goals but surpass them.

Edward, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am Edward Hernandez, a Mexican-American photographer who has been working for five years. I have always been interested in photography since I was a child, but I began to take it seriously when I bought my first professional camera during my first year of high school. At first, the images I captured consisted of my friends and events hosted by my school, and they were all done for fun. However, my work was soon recognized, and I then became an intern for my school district’s public relations my junior year and became the class historian my senior year. With the experience I gained at school, I decided to apply it and make it into a business. It was nerve-wracking at first to take that jump and begin charging people for something I was initially doing as a hobby. Still, the positive reactions I received from my first clients gave me the validation and encouragement that I needed to continue and believe I could make a living through my passion. At this point, I had already experimented with several different photo mediums and wanted different ways to express my new skills creatively. I would ask my followers who were willing to be photographed for free so that I could build my portfolio and experiment with different things and scenes across Houston. I was learning that I enjoyed taking portraits of people, especially the people from my community of Alief, which is located in Southwest Houston. What’s so special about Alief is that we are a diverse and multicultural community that coexists with each other. As a Mexican-American who grew up here, I thought it was vital for me to use my voice to shine a light on the people here since everyone has a story that needs to be acknowledged. Instead of just documenting and taking candid photos of my surroundings here, I decided to use my interest in the fashion world to influence the pictures I took of them. It was incredible to experience their reaction when they first saw themselves as a “model.” Although they may be fun, I believe that doing editorial-style portraits of the people proves that there is a beauty that needs to be expressed, not exploited. With this unique vision I have developed through my experiences, I applied to colleges. Now I am in my sophomore year of majoring in photography at Pratt Institute in New York, chasing my dream of being able to photograph for magazines.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I always underestimated social media; I never thought that something simple as posting an image could lead to possible connections and opportunities. So when I found myself comfortable with the collection of photos I have accumulated through my career, I figured it was time to display them online on Instagram. The attention and feedback I received from displaying my work made me realize that social media was a great way to reach a wider audience. When you’re trying to maintain a social media presence, being consistent is critical, as well as building a relationship with your audience and trusting in yourself that there will be people interested in the content you’re posting. It may be daunting at first, but don’t be shy to branch out to other platforms. I highly recommend getting into Twitter and especially TikTok since it is two social platforms that make it easy for their users to share with each other. Posting on Instagram is also essential, but I no longer see the app as a way to build an audience as the algorithm is now focused more on shopping.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The ability to create art is one of the most rewarding aspects in my life as I think it’s pretty amazing that I can conceptualize a vision and be able to execute. Being able to create something from your soul, whether you consider yourself to be artistic or not, is very powerful. People should not overlook the artistry and beauty of the soul as it can create a conversation.

Contact Info:

• Website: edwardhernandez.net
• Instagram: @edwardhernandezz
• Twitter: @edwardhern4ndez
• Other: TikTok: @edwarddhernandez

Image Credits
Models: Amina Mabizari @aminamabi, Grace Otto @gracespaced, Ioana Docu @yerbaaaaaa, Jennifer Ela @jm__mela, Jessica Thi @jessicathi, Omar Lopez @omm.ar444