Photographer Interview: Candy Hernandez
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Candy Hernandez. Born and raised in mid-Michigan. I have worked for General Motors the last 21 years. I am a weekend roadtripper, lake lover, nature addict, and photographer of all things beautiful.
How did you get started in photography?
I’ve always liked taking pictures since I was a little girl. My dad would take me camping and fishing on his weekends all over the state. He always had his camera with him. I would take pictures of the landscape as we drove from town to town looking for our next adventure. That passion stayed with me as I grew older. Now I’m the adventurer that my daddy was.
What do you like about your photography?
I love that it’s what I like to see. When I make a picture, it’s for me, from the subject to the way I edit it. The choices are mine and they evoke what I am feeling about it.
Where do you get inspiration for your style/ideas?
Lately I’ve found my inspiration from a few photographers on Instagram that I follow: Lennonjames and danpricephoto. They can take the simplest thing and make it look magical. They have such a talent.
I also admire TODD and Brad Reed from Ludington. They have a way of capturing nature in its raw form. It’s beautiful to see.
You work a lot with locations and travel photography. Why is it important to capture your surroundings?
What I love most about what I do is I get to share these beautiful places with people that they may never even know exists. There are older people that remember visiting these places growing up, or taking their children there for summer vacations but now it isn’t possible for them to travel there or hike those trails like they once did. I make it possible for them to see it now by sharing my photos.
What kinds of themes do you explore with your work?
I don’t know if I have a theme. I know I’m drawn to Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. So I guess it would be nature. But I do enjoy urban landscape as well.
Any upcoming projects or shoots you’re working on?
Right now I’m waiting on some ice to form. We’ve had a couple cold winters and its left a craving for ice caves and icy lighthouses. I don’t think I will get to walk across Munising Bay to Grand Island this winter, but there will be icy lighthouses to shoot.
For more of Candy’s work, follow her on Instagram.