Diane Hernandez brings her photography to Harmony

By Jade Sexton
jade@fillmorecountyjournal.com

Fri, Oct 5th, 2012
Posted in Harmony Features

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Diane Hernandez at her studio in Harmony. Photo by Jade Sexton

There are moments in life that only happen once, and capturing those moments to remember them forever is important to many people. Diane Hernandez loves helping people record those moments and milestones with her photography. She has opened her own studio, Diane H Photography, in Harmony.

Hernandez hails from Texas, and has lived in Minnesota for two years now. She lives in Preston with her husband Ramon and their daughter, Kaylee. When she was in college in Texas, she took photography classes and enjoyed them, but studied graphic design, as she thought that would make a good job.

Making photography sort of just happened for Hernandez. “When I was pregnant with my daughter, I wanted to try newborn photography,” she said. “It just kind of happened.”

When she moved to Minnesota, it all fell into place. She found a space for her studio, established her business and a web site, and things happened from there.

Newborns are her specialty, but Hernandez also enjoys taking senior pictures and family pictures. She prefers working with people, and she loves working with kids. She does not photograph weddings at this time.

“I would rather chase a toddler around,” said Hernandez. “It’s more fun!”

Using her trusty Nikon, wearing comfortable clothes with her hair pulled up, Hernandez crawls around on the floor with the kids, getting down to their level and trying to capture their personalities. During a photo shoot with a senior, Hernandez likes to help them express themselves with their pictures.

“It’s fun,” she says of the experience. “They are at a stage in life, they are so unique, and it’s a fun time to try to figure out how to get their personality to show. It’s also fun to see mom watch their kids get their photo taken. It’s a milestone, and it can be very emotional.”

The goal she has is to get the best picture she can, something that they can be proud to hand out to friends and family.

Hernandez offers baby packages that start during pregnancy and continue through the baby’s first year. She has really enjoyed getting to know people in the area this way.

The studio in Harmony is not the only place Hernandez works. She travels often for photo shoots, including the Twin Cities area and her home in Texas. She also does a lot of outdoor photo shoots in the area.

Capturing these moments for other people has been very fulfilling for Hernandez. “I love editing the photos,” she said. “Every session I get so excited that I got the shot. I like to grab the moments that happen every day but you don’t always see. It’s kind of an art.”

Hernandez also enjoys putting her photos on Facebook and seeing how much other people enjoy them. The joy that parents feel about the pictures of their children are what fuels her desire for this career, in spite of all the behind-the-scenes work she puts into it.

“It fills my cup,” she said. “Then I’m ready for the next time.”

Business has spiraled for Hernandez beyond what she ever expected, and she is having a lot of fun. People from many areas, including northern Iowa, are driving to Harmony to get photos taken in her studio. This time of year is particularly busy, but she doesn’t mind at all.

Check out photos and information at www.dianehphotography.com.

Comments:

134

5:17:29, Oct 5th 2012

pgooding says:

Very talented and creative