Ben Hernandez

Andy Thacker

2010-03-31T23:51:00.003-04:00

This is a promo shot I did for my friend Andy Thacker. He's one of the best mandolin and guitar players you'll ever hear. This shot features him sporting his John Hamlett #6 "F" style mandolin.

Frozen Charlottesville

2010-02-08T23:24:00.005-05:00

I shot this on a cold, frozen day on our downtown Mall. It was on the tail end of a huge storm that left the city virtually frozen over after a very wet snowfall. This year's snow (and at the time I'm writing this it's only early Feb) set a new record for snowfall in Charlottesville, surpassing the totals from 1996.

On Frozen Pond

2010-01-31T23:36:00.003-05:00

A Winter's dusk creeps up on a frozen pond outside of Nellysford, Virginia.

Stoney Creek Winter

2010-01-31T22:55:00.006-05:00

I love photographing rivers and streams; and using long exposures to accent the flowing water. I shot this in Stoney Creek, the day after Virginia's second relatively large (for us anyway) snowstorm of the season. My toes are just now thawing out after standing in the water long enough to get this shot.

2009 in Photos

2010-01-11T02:01:00.005-05:00

For me, 2009 was a year of learning. Lots of learning. Real-world learning. And one of the things I've learned is that, as a photographer, you can really see the world different. It's as if you have a second set of eyes. And you also learn something new just about every time you pick up your camera. You can discover just how amazing the world can be when you actually learn to see and not just look. And this past year, I saw a lot. People, places, animals, events and many unforgettable moments that I tried to freeze in time with my camera. Below are 25 of my personal favorite shots from 2009 . A year that will I will forever remember as my first year "out there" in the real world, shuttering as a pro. (Just keep clicking "older posts" and it will take you through all of them, including a very short wedding slideshow if you're so inclined.)

A Cover Shot for Nelson County Life

2010-01-11T01:53:00.006-05:00

Well, the year got off to great start when my friends Tommy & Yvette Stafford at Nelson Life surprised me with this cover shot for the January edition of the magazine. It was the first story I shot for them and it was about John Hamlett (http://www.hamlettinstruments.com/) the Nelson County luthier who makes beautiful instruments, including my own mandolin. (January 2009 edition of NCL).

The Pickin' Shack

2010-01-11T01:47:00.005-05:00

A band "promo" shot. Although I realize this one includes me. It's amazing the things one can do with a ten second timer and a tripod. February 2009.

Walker's Run

2010-01-11T01:31:00.004-05:00

As I continue to try and build a portfolio of musicians and music, I did a promo shot for Walker's Run on a night they played at what used to be the Gravity Lounge. This was shot at Blue Light. February 2009.

Small Lives

2010-01-10T21:29:00.003-05:00

Small Lives was the most engaging project I've worked on as a photographer to date. It was such a privilege to work with one my mentors, Elizabeth Stone, who founded this project and asked me to assist her with two portait books here in Virginia -- first for Nelson County and most recently for the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA. You can read more about it at http://www.smalllives.com/ or you can email me for more information on how to purchase a book. The introductions were generously written by award winning author Rita Mae Brown and Academy Award Winner Sissy Spacek. And all of the proceeds from sales of these books benefit the SPCAs. These are the promotional posters that we used at the SPCA auctions.

Grandma Alford

2010-01-10T20:26:00.006-05:00

I took this photo of my Grandmother on her 91st Birthday. She still continues to amaze me each and every day. Crozet, Virginia. May 2009.

Beach Infrared Black & White

2010-01-10T20:20:00.003-05:00

This year I enjoyed doing some experiementation with converting raw images to black & white infrareds. It's definitely not the same as using a filter or an infrared camera, but Photoshop can do some amazing things to simulate the effect. Avon, North Carolina. June 2009.

Beach Fence

2010-01-10T20:14:00.006-05:00

I hadn't been to the Outer Banks in years, though I spent many summer vacations there as a kid. I was lucky enough to go back this year on a trip with the Thacker family. I enjoyed walking around and shooting some photos of things that just stand out. Like this fenceline along one of the dunes, underneath a pier. Avon, North Carolina. June 2009.

The Calgary Stampede

2010-01-10T18:30:00.005-05:00

What a wild time. We spent hours trying to time these shots to capture both the atmosphere AND the fireworks. Calgary, Alberta. July 2009.

Steph & Steve

2010-01-10T18:21:00.006-05:00

I helped my friends Kelly and Ledra shoot a wedding in Calgary, Alberta back in July. Just imagine the sound of three shutters clicking in a small church, during the ceremony. Calgary, Alberta. July 2009.

Mandolinmania

2010-01-10T17:11:00.006-05:00

This photo of Andy Thacker playing the mandolin (actually, my mandolin come to think of it) was used on the back cover of Kathryn Caine's latest CD release. I pushed the white balance settings a bit, to give it this blueish/green effect. Charlottesville, Virginia. August 2009.

Transit Center building at dusk

2010-01-10T17:07:00.006-05:00

A photo of Charlottesville's new downtown Transit Center. This was for some architecture porfolio-building. August 2009.

Jessica & Chris 8.8.08

2010-01-10T15:45:00.004-05:00

This is my favorite shot from the wedding I shot in South Carolina back in August. Special thanks to my friend Chris Pecoraro for helping me shoot this wedding for Chris and Jess. Pawley's Island, South Carolina. August 2009.

SPCA Volunteer

2010-01-10T15:33:00.005-05:00

The most exciting project I worked on all year was by far the Small Lives SPCA portrait books with photographer Elizabeth Stone. This is a photo I shot for one of the books at the Charlottesville-Albemarle shelter. September 2009.

Aspen Grove

2010-01-10T15:22:00.006-05:00

Aspens are fascinating to me. The always grow in groves and their root systems (I've heard) are intertwined...kind of like a family. And they're just fun to photograph. Montana's Absaroka/Beartooth Wilderness. September 2009.

Irrigation

2010-01-07T00:39:00.006-05:00

I have been fascinated by these things for years. And Montana is full of them. I finally found the right day, the right spot and the right scene. Special thanks to my friend Kate, who was driving and agreed to pull off when I yelled "stop here! stop here!" McLeod, Montana. September 2009.

Rainbow Park

2010-01-07T00:35:00.004-05:00

One of the best (and best kept secrets) fishing spots along Montana's Boulder River. I'm not telling anyone how to get there. September 2009.

The Tasting Room

2010-01-07T00:25:00.006-05:00

One of my many low-light, high ISO (hand held) shots that I've tried this year with my D700. It's high ISO rating has opened up a whole new world of shooting darker scenes without artificial lighting or tripods. The problem is that the very latest Nikon and Canon pro bodies are four times as effective! Barboursville Vineyards. September 2009.

Newport Martini

2010-01-06T17:24:00.005-05:00

This year I experimented a lot with different white-balance settings and post-production "recipes" to try and achieve certain effects. In this case, I wanted something warm with lots of borderline neon, bar-type lighting. Newport, Rhode Island. October 2009.

Yellow Lines on the Parkway

2010-01-06T17:20:00.004-05:00

I love these shots. The problem is finding the right place and time to get them. In this case, I picked peak-season on the Blue Ridge Parkway. So the challenge was laying down in the road to get the shot while cars weren't in the frame...or on top of me. Afton, Virginia. October 2009.

Autumn in Afton

2010-01-06T17:16:00.003-05:00

An autumn evening panorama. Afton, Virginia. October 2009.