DIVE INTO MY STORY
A CUBAN PHOTOGRAPHER
ALIDA HERNANDEZ
From a little town in Havana called Santa Fe...
I am originally from Cuba and have been based in Florida for more than a decade. I grew up in Havana, in a small fishing town called Santa Fe, where I first picked up a camera as a teenager. At the time, resources for creating art were limited and creative expression was often restricted, but photography was something I was determined to continue pursuing.
When I came to the United States at 20, I already knew I wanted to keep building on what I had started in Cuba. The journey has been long and challenging, but it has also been incredibly rewarding! Over the years, I have grown my work from photography for businesses, private and corporate clients to commissioned and editorial projects.
Sometimes, a project might start with a tale...
This photography project, "A Gothic, Red Story," draws inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale, The Red Shoes.
FROM IDEA TO IMAGE
Step 01
01 — THE IDEA
Every editorial project begins with an idea. Sometimes it comes from a story in a book or a piece of literature; other times, it begins as nothing more than a raw concept, an image, or a feeling that I want to explore.
Step 02
02 — BRINGING IT TO LIFE
Once the idea takes shape, the hands-on work begins. I draw and plan the scenes, select the colors, build the set, find or create the wardrobe, and gather all the strange, unexpected, and sometimes crazy elements the story needs.
Step 03
03 — THE SHOOT
The shooting day is where everything I have imagined, planned, and built is finally put to the test. From there, the editing process begins, shaping everything captured into the final image.
