We had the good fortune of connecting with Jason Hernandez Felix and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jason, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born on Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. When I was 13 years old my grandmother was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer and had surgery a couple of months after. During this time I saw as my grandmother went from a smiling and full-of-happiness person to someone who constantly felt pain, and in times became ill to the point of getting hospitalized once every week. Even after going through all of this, she asked me once to take a photo with her. My grandmother passed away 3 months after taking a selfie with her. Since that day, one thing I have fallen in love with is being able to capture peoples’ significant moments and memories with a camera.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a local San Diego photographer and I shoot mainly weddings and special events, and I also shoot landscape photography on the side as a hobby. I also work at a local Best Buy as a part-time GeekSquad Agent and have several training sessions per week where I teach customers basics of shooting and editing photos. When I was 13 years old, after my grandmother passed away, I became in love with the act of photographing special moments, but it wasn’t until I turned 16 years old that I decided to buy my own camera and take photography classes in my high school. One thing I can still remember are the first $30 I ever made through Photography. It was one of the most exhausting, but proudest moments at the time. Several years later, at the age of 19 I began to take photography clases in college and started to take an interest in shooting weddings and events. So I created my first business card for weddings and special events and started handing them out to people on almost every Starbucks/coffee shop location available within 50 miles. It wasn’t easy at first since I was only able to get one portrait session out of several stops and hours of driving. As I kept this up for a year, I began to get clients for portrait sessions, wedding, and even events(mainly church events). As of today, I photograph several church events and weddings a year. With hard work and determination, anything that you put your heart on you can accomplish. Don’t let the struggles in life determine your future, you go create your own future by doing what you love most!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would recommend visiting Double Peak in San Elijo, Palomar Mountain, Joshua Tree, and Ocotillo Wells. Being a huge Mexican food fanatic, and crispy chicken fan, I would probably spend most of my time at taco bar, Chick-fil-A, and Canes Chicken fingers! I personally love visiting calm places, and I would highly recommend it to someone who is in constant stress.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My grandmother, parents, professors, and mentors. I want to point out one of my professors Amy Caterina and my friend and photographer Elvin Diego as two people who have helped me develop my career within the last 4 years.

Website: felixjason.com

Instagram: @jasonarher

Image Credits
Elvin Diego (Self Portrait), Ayala and Steve (Elopement)

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