#reubenhernandezstudios

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Solar Eclipse

The sun and the moon photographed at 3:30 pm ET on Monday and my childhood dream coming true.

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Freelancers Union Photography Show Opening Reception

I’m excited to show my work from Antarctica and the Arctic at the Freelancers Union Photography show at Industry City in Brooklyn. Join us on Thursday, September 14th for the official gallery opening reception from 5 pm - 8 pm at 241 37th Street, 3rd Floor - Suite A326, Brooklyn, NY 11232. Beer and refreshments will be served and the show will run until January 10, 2024. More info/RSVP here. I hope to see you there! Freelancers Union Photography Show September 14, 2023 – January 10, 2024

Opening Reception September 14, 2023 5pm – 8pm

Freelancers Hub 241 37th Street 3rd Floor – Suite A326 Brooklyn, NY 11232

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World Antarctica Day

Yesterday was World Antarctica Day, celebrating the day the Antarctic Treaty was signed. Dad once told me he was envious that I got sent to photograph Antarctica and would live vicariously through me. The wildlife in Antarctica is so beautiful, raw, and uninhibited. I keep coming back to this photograph and can’t help but think of my dad and how he pushed me to explore, photograph, and document beauty.

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Creative Humans Feature

Click on the image below to see Reuben’s work featured on Creative Humans

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Her Favorite Patient nominated for Best Comedy Short and Best Ensemble - Narrative Short

We’re excited to announce that Her Favorite Patient is nominated for Best Comedy Short and Best Ensemble - Narrative Short at the 11th annual Queens World Film Festival! Congrats to our cast Barbara Miluski, Isabelle Pierre, Clay Russell, our writer/producer Brady Evan Walker, and our entire crew! I’m honored to share this recognition with our cast and crew and grateful that Queens World Film Festival has selected our film to screen live at their festival this year. Thanks to everyone that came out to our live screening in Long Island City on Saturday. It’s nice to have the collective experience of sharing our work in person on the big screen once again, and it feels like we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

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Her Favorite Patient screening at Queens World Film Festival

Her Favorite Patient is screening both live and virtually at the 11th annual Queens World Film Festival, one of MovieMaker’s 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee. The live screening will be at The Local in Long Island City, NYC on Saturday, June 26th at 7 pm and tickets can be purchased here. The virtual screening will be part of the Therapy This short film block from 6/23 to 7/3 and tickets can be purchased here. We’re excited to screen at QWFF and thank you for your support!

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New Dawn

New dawn, new day

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Filmshop Exhibition

My short film Maddie screens as part of Filmshop Exhibition, curated by Michael Dunaway, available to watch for free through tonight here: https://www.thefilmshop.org/fs-exhibition-viewer-thursday.

Michael Dunaway “A struggling Latina bartender, a millennial hipster white woman, a group of inner-city fencers, a little girl on the streets of New York City, a Black visual artist, and a boy growing up playing chess with his grandfather. The protagonists of these six films couldn't be more different, and yet the emerging filmmakers will make you fall in love with every one of them. These six directors also share a meticulous attention to production design, and have each found the ideal pace at which to unfold their stories. But it's those characters that stick with me most. Well done.”

Petty Cash, Matt Simon Zugzwang, Lars Fuchs Maddie, Reuben Hernandez Inner City Fencers, Daniel Feighery Division Street: Fish Out of Water, Traven Rice Masterpiece, Eden Martinez

Michael Dunaway is the Editor at Large of Paste Magazine, and the founding partner of Gasoline Films and Poitier & Dunaway Motion Pictures. He is the director, writer, and producer of Six LA Love Stories, and the producer and director of 21 Years: Richard Linklater. He also produced and directed The Man Who Ate New Orleans, with Oscar nominee Morgan Spurlock. His short film Bread won Best US Narrative Short at the 2011 Rome International Film Festival. Current projects include a scripted historical civil rights epic with the King and Poitier families. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and children.

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2019 A Decade in Review

One of the single most defining moments of the past decade was when I quit my job, started my own company, and moved to NYC. It was one of the most difficult and best decisions I have ever made. That was nearly 10 years ago, and it has led me to numerous opportunities that I had only dreamed of such as landing in Antarctica, photographing great white sharks breach, and seeing the aurora borealis dance above me and light up the Arctic sky. That decision also led me to meeting my wife Lisa in my Brooklyn neighborhood and to becoming a father to Leuca last year, which has been a wonderful and beautiful journey.

It’s difficult to summarize an entire decade, so I will share some of my favorite experiences and work over the last ten years.

Landing in Antarctica was a really big deal for me. I had dreamed of visiting Antarctica ever since I was in fourth grade and Antarctica also marked my seventh and final continent. It is transcendent and truly like no place on earth. This is one of many images I photographed as photographer in residence onboard an expedition ship. Dreams do come true. That’s what I would tell my childhood self.

This photograph was taken in False Bay, South Africa and speaks for itself. This happened in about a split second so you can imagine how challenging of a photograph this was to capture. The is one of the images I am most proud of and I still can’t believe I got the shot. I was freaking out afterwards. Sharks are awesome creatures and I’ve always wanted to see a great white shark breach.

In 2014 I had the opportunity to be a photographer in residence onboard an expedition ship in Svalbard, Arctic Norway. We spotted these polar bears from our ship from about 300 meters and our expedition leader decided that we would jump in zodiacs to get a closer look. The seawater was torrential and we were getting absolutely soaked by the waves smashing against the front of our zodiacs as we raced towards the polar bears. Luckily the bears remained and we got to observe them closer from our zodiacs. This was also a challenging photograph to capture with a long lens on a zodiac that was rocking up and down. I have a print of this photograph in my daughter Leuca’s room, and it definitely has a new meaning for me being a parent.

On my way to Antarctica I spent some time in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile in hopes of photographing the Milky Way. It was quite an adventure to say the least. I spent a few weeks waiting for the rain and full moon to pass as I foolishly didn’t check the phases of the moon beforehand. The Atacama Desert is supposed to be one of the driest places on earth so I was surprised by the rain. I woke up each morning at about 3 am and rode my bike alone out into the desert. It was a bit unnerving and extremely desolate and dark. It was also humbling and peaceful to see so many stars and stand beneath billions of galaxies. This is a self portrait I captured underneath the Milky Way.

Last year I was commissioned by BBC Travel to do a photo and video story for their To the Ends of the Earth series. I had the opportunity to visit Supai, the only US town that receives its mail by mule train and is only accessible by hiking eight miles into the Grand Canyon or by helicopter. I hiked more than 20 miles off the grid carrying 40 - 50 lbs of photo and video gear, food, and camping supplies for this story. It was an adventure to say the least, and the Havasupai Falls are one of the most beautiful natural wonders I have ever seen. Check out the full story and interview with tribal elder Rex Tilusi here.

I directed Bono in the above Red Nose Day celebrity PSA. Spike Jonze showed up and thanked me for allowing him to help out. It was pretty wild meeting Bono and Spike, two creative forces I have looked up to.

Maddie, my narrative directorial debut, had its online premiere earlier this year on Film Shortage after screening at several film festivals and winning a few awards. You can watch the film above (TRT: 11 min). I love the collaborative process of making films and have had the pleasure of working with some incredibly talented casts and crews. I’ve since directed two other narrative short films and joined the Filmshop collective, where we workshop works in progress, foster collaboration, and help bring each other’s projects to life.

I’m grateful to be in my 10th year of business, creating work that I believe is meaningful both personally and professionally. This year I’m proud to be certified as a NYC minority-owned business enterprise. 2020 and beyond will be a new and exciting chapter for Reuben Hernandez Studios. Thank you to all of my clients, friends, family, and collaborators that have supported and believed in me over the last decade. I wouldn’t be here without you. My daughter Leuca is growing up so fast I can hardly believe it. Yesterday she turned 15 months old. She brings us so much love and joy and is an absolute beast. She’s been doing baby parkour and ran laps around the airplane last week. She keeps us on our toes and never ceases to amaze us. Leuca has given me a new purpose.

A year ago I wrote “Going forward I'll have to live a more structured life to prioritize my time between family, work, personal projects, and exercise/dance/self-care.” I think I did a pretty good job over the past year. I’ve come a long way and I know there’s always room for improvement. We had a family vacation planned earlier this year that I had to cut short for a job in LA. I know it was the right decision and I’m learning how to make sacrifices and that often times things just do not go as planned. I’m relearning how important family is. My dad hasn’t been doing very well and I’m happy that Leuca got a chance to meet him and see him a few times this year. It’s important for Leuca to know her family history and where she came from. My dad’s illness has brought my family closer together in unexpected ways. I want to continue to cherish each moment I spend with Leuca and my family and love them as much as I can. It’s past 1 am and I actually have to film a job on NYE so I best be going. If you made it this far, thanks for following along. Wishing you love, peace, and Happy New Year. See you in 2020! All My Best, Reuben

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Her Favorite Patient World Premiere at Lighthouse International Film Festival

My short film “Her Favorite Patient” world premieres today at the Lighthouse International Film Festival, named one of MovieMaker’s 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World. You can watch our film virtually in Shorts Block #2 through June 20th by purchasing tickets here. There is also a free Q&A tomorrow 6/15 at 5 pm EST; Q&A tickets available here. Thanks so much to our wonderful cast and crew for all of their hard work, sweat, and dedication: Directed by Reuben Hernandez Written by Brady Evan Walker Produced by Reuben Hernandez and Brady Evan Walker Starring Barbara Miluski (Girls, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Isabelle Pierre Director of Photography Jackson J. Eagan Assistant Camera Monica Kapoor Grip Nikolai Basarich Sound Design and Sound Editor Ash Knowlton Edited by Patrice D. Bowman Colorist Jenny Montgomery Short Form Color Producer Stephanie Arce Music by Clay Russell Stay healthy safe. Love and Best Thoughts, Reuben

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Reuben Hernandez Studios 10 Year Anniversary

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of Reuben Hernandez Studios and being independent/self-employed. Ten years ago I quit my full time job at Oakley, Inc., hopped on a plane bound for Mozambique, and never looked back. It has been a wild journey with a lot of unexpected turns including the current crisis were are all living.

I dedicate the past 10 years of my business to my dear friend and mentor Brian Robbins, who sadly and unexpectedly lost his life to cancer on February 2, 2020. I had known Brian and his family for nearly 16 years, and he believed in me, took a chance on me, and gave me my first real job at Oakley Inc. We continued to be friends and I considered him a mentor and guiding light to this day. Brian showed me a tremendous amount of courage when he quit his job to start his creative journey. Little did I know that I would soon follow in his footsteps four years later, quit the job that he gave me, and embark on my own creative journey. There is a piece of Brian in every business and creative decision I've made over the past 10 years. He showed me what it looks like to be a loving father and husband well before I became one myself. Thank you Brian for shaping and molding me into the person I am today, both personally and professionally.

As I reflect over the last ten years, I have a lot of memories, feelings, and emotions. I'm so grateful that my family and I are healthy and safe in the midst of the current COVID-19 epidemic. We live in New York City, now considered the US epicenter. I have to admit we sometimes suffer from moral fatigue, and I get anxiety when I leave the apartment to buy groceries or mail a package. Taking my daughter outside for walks feels like human frogger trying to maintain a safe social distance from all other humans. My daughter seems to be doing ok, is happy, and joyful. It's been beautiful and absolutely wonderful watching her grow up. I love my family dearly and couldn't imagine having to survive this without them by my side. Today Leuca turns 18 months old, which means she is officially a toddler.

Below are some discoveries and key learnings I’ve taken to heart over the past decade.

"If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed." 

- Naval Admiral William H. McRaven, The University of Texas at Austin, May 17, 2014

Ever since I watched this commencement speech, I have made my bed every single day. "If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another... Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that the little things in life matter." I've extended my morning ritual to include grinding coffee beans and making pour over coffee. This morning ritual gives me a small sense of pride and accomplishment. Making and drinking my morning coffee is my moment of peace and calm, before I start the day. Yesterday I made chocolate chip banana bread from scratch with a lot of love that my daughter thoroughly enjoyed. While I made this bread, I got lost in the process and the moment and completely forgot that we are in the middle of a crisis. It was a therapeutic moment of joy and peace. Keep creating and making stuff. Make things out of love. It's a form of therapy and will get you through a crisis. My family and I celebrated my 10 year anniversary by breaking and eating banana bread together. The little things and the little victories in life do matter. Here’s the banana bread recipe if you’d like to make it.

Family First

Being self-employed has afforded a flexible schedule and allowed me to spend more quality time with my family. At the end of the day, I want to be remembered as a loving father and husband, someone that loved my family dearly. As much as I love my work, I love my family more. If Reuben Hernandez Studios does not survive me, my family will. And they also love me back (as far as I know).

Be Kind And Respect Everyone

Kindness goes a long way and you never know who will hire you next. My friend Evan Burgher took the jumping tank photo of me at the top. We met at Oakley, Inc. and have been friends for over thirteen years. Even is also independent and we’ve worked together hiring each other numerous times over the past decade. Evan flew me out to Dallas last month for a job.

Get A Mentor

Find someone to help you get through life and succeed. Shoutout to Brian Robbins, Greg Harvey, and the mentors and leaders I have had and learned from in my life.

The Train Is Moving Forward. Get On or Off.

I embraced this concept when I directed and produced my narrative short film "Maddie". People will come and go; however, the project is moving forward regardless. There were so many lessons learned on that set. You can accomplish anything with a great team, heart, and dedication. People will come and go in business and in life. Never give up.

In closing, I will share some COVID-19 resources that may be of interest to you. The NYC Department of Small Businesses is offering employee retention grants and zero interest loans for NYC businesses. More info here. Adobe, Squarespace, Quickbooks, and other companies are offering COVID-19 relief. Delta has been incredibly flexible with their cancellation and flight change policy (we cancelled our flight to Aruba last week). Local restaurants Anella and Jimmy’s Diner have offered pay what you can takeout meals. Yoga With Adrienne is helping me survive. You can watch 75 SXSW 2020 short films online for free and here are 15 Short Films Now Streaming From Great Directors: Nolan, Waititi, and More (including Waititi’s Oscar winner). Individuals and businesses are doing beautiful things for the community. I’m hopeful and confident we will flatten the curve and get through this.

Thank you to my family, friends, collaborators, and clients that have supported and believed in me over the past decade. I wouldn’t be here without you. Stay healthy and safe. Sending lots of love and virtual banana bread.  Best Thoughts, Reuben 

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New York State Certified Minority-Owned Business Enterprise

Reuben Hernandez Studios is now a New York State certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE), as well as a NYC and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey certified MBE. We are looking forward to doing business with New York State.

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Sold Out Settling Up screening

Our Settling Up film screening sold out at the 10th annual Williamsburg Independent Film Festival ! We had a blast having our film open the festival to a sold out crowd. Thanks Willfilm for screening our film and we look forward to coming back again.

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Reuben Hernandez Studios Receives Minority-Owned Business Enterprise Certification

Reuben Hernandez Studios has been certified as a minority-owned business enterprise by the NYC Department of Small Business Services. We will now be listed in the New York City Online Directory of Certified Businesses and look forward to this next chapter after being in business for nearly ten years.

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Airbnb Sketch NYC

New work for Airbnb Airbnb Sketch Your Way Around NYC Director Andrew Klein Director of Photography Reuben Hernandez

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2017 A Year in Review

According to the Weather Channel, it feels like 2°F outside in Brooklyn right now! Mamma mia! After living in NYC for nearly seven years, it still feels like a foreign concept to have to check the weather every single day. No one ever talked about the weather where I grew up in SoCal. Despite the cold, I still love it here and enjoy experiencing seasons and change.

And so 2017 ends on a very cold note. 2017 is also the end of American made denim; today the Cone Mills White Oak plant, the last American selvedge denim mill, sadly closes it's doors after 112 years in operation. Cone Mills White Oak denim is my favorite denim fabric, and I ordered one last pair before White Oak shuts down for good.  As 2017 comes to a close, I look back with gratitude. My narrative short film, Maddie, premiered at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema in NYC (sadly also closing it's doors for good next month) earlier this year. Maddie screened at a handful of film festivals this year and unexpectedly took home a few awards, including the Best Williamsburg Short Award at the Williamsburg Independent Film Festival in Brooklyn last month. Maddie will screen at a few more festivals in 2018. Thanks to everyone that came out and supported our film this year. 

Another project I enjoyed working on this year was This Is Our New York, a short spot I directed for the New York Immigration Coalition, that was broadcasted on the big screen in Times Square.

On a personal note, the major highlight of 2017 was marrying my best friend Lisa in Puglia, Italy last summer alongside our dear friends and family members. We hosted a three day celebration and were intentional about spending quality time together with our loved ones over the course of several days. Afterwards, Lisa and I road tripped, swam, and ate our way around Southern Italy for a month. It was a memorable summer to say the least! 

This year I really had to embrace and learn not to sweat the small things in life. Life is too short to focus on little things that really don't matter in the end. I definitely want to continue working on this in 2018 and beyond. Next year, I will also dance much more. Last but not least, I moved my business into a new studio this year with my friends at Skypie Studio, and have been much more productive and happier. It has been really great and invaluable to move my work life outside of the house, and be surrounded by a community of creatives. I have some exciting projects that I'm looking forward to working on next year. Much love, peace, and Happy New Year to you all. Cheers, Reuben