Meet Natalie Herrera

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Natalie Herrera a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Natalie with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I developed my work ethic by getting real with myself. I’m a single parent and doing anything halfway is not going to cut it because I have my children who depend on my successes. I want to provide a service to my clients that goes far beyond money though and I believe establishing connections that are real, keep people coming back to work with me. Part of it is also seeing the hard work my parents have always done. My dad has always told me that you should put your heart into doing the things that you love. Photography is one of my greatest loves and I want to keep growing with it.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m not sure of what’s next but currently I’m at a phase in my life where I’m doing the best that I can. Law school is around the corner, I’m raising three daughters while working for the State of Louisiana during the week, shooting as many weddings, elopements, and family sessions that I can on weekends. I’m always on the clock. My current goals are to teach my oldest two how to edit and bring them on as photographers and videographers. They are more tech savvy than I am, which is super funny because I’m not that old, but they know how to work gear that I haven’t sorted out myself yet. Hopefully, my girls will develop an interest on their own and want to work alongside me. Photography is a huge passion of mine that I’ve been working on since my senior year of high school. In those days we had film, now I’m working with digital which is a huge advantage when it comes to manipulation of post production, but I love film. I just bought two vintage film videocamera- Super 8 style and some Canon AE1s that I plan to work with and add on to what I already do. I think bringing in some of the old is refreshing, because it forces you to work with your settings closely and get them right, since there’s no way to fix any mistakes in post. My hope is to keep my business going for as long as I can.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
It’s cliche, but experience is the greatest teacher. You have to take big leaps of faith and push yourself to do the work it takes to make your goals possible. It won’t always be perfect- life has its stages of ups and downs, but nothing lasts forever. You can always start again, try again, and keep going. You also don’t have to follow what everyone else is doing; sometimes your own unique style will draw in the clients that will want you for what you can provide- even if there are hundreds more doing the same. It all boils down to your unique capability and passion. That’s one thing I feel has been an attribute for me- being myself and providing a perspective that only I can provide. Everyone can take a picture, but not everyone can get you to feel the moment captured.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
I’d love to get to know more people in the wedding industry. I know a great amount currently, but it would be wonderful to collaborate on more styled shoots, meet more professionals, and really expand. The industry in New Orleans can be tightlipped and totally closed off for a number of reasons. It’s a little frustrating at times. I booked so many ceremonies on my own last year and this year has been barebones. I’m trying to find a way to work through it and not get discouraged. The market has always been saturated with photographers, but I’m hopeful about getting through this rough patch.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Lily Magnolia Rose Photography

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