Nature Lover Opens Photography Business

Eric Gross Matt Hernandez has opened ASAP Photography—a general practitioner photography business serving Putnam County. Matt Hernandez loves nature and hiking and admiring the world around him.

The 22-year-old Lake Carmel resident who graduated from Carmel High School in 2005 decided a couple of years ago to purchase a camera in order for him to record his excursions in the wild.

The photography bug bit the young man. He enrolled in the New York Institute for Photography and took numerous courses dealing with everything from child photography to pet photography.

Matt aced a number of photo projects at the prestigious Manhattan school and learned about the “freedom and creativity” available with today’s modern digital cameras: “Anyone can use the technology. Being creative is the skill that sets the professional apart from the amateur.”

Matt continues to love nature and has set a goal for himself—to provide a photography essay for “National Geographic.” Matt said he’d like nothing better than the publication to “pay for me to go out and chase some rare and exotic birds.”

Matt has formed ASAP Photography. ASAP is the acronym for “Any Style—Any Place.”

While his first love remains photographing nature, the young entrepreneur realizes he can’t make a living photographing insects and landscapes so is offering his services at reasonable cost for those requiring the services of a professional for a wedding, birthday, Bar Mitzvah, Confirmation, community get-together or the like.

“Photography is a release of tension and stress,” said the young man who formally weighed 287 pounds. By hiking and becoming more active, Matt has lost nearly 100 pounds: “Photography saved my life by helping me get out of doors and changing my lifestyle.”

While in high school, Matt excelled in history and environmental biology. He credited a teacher, Jonathan Lichwick, with planting the seed that got him interested in photography: “Mr. Lichwick’s classroom videos made me want to get out of doors and view and photograph the world around us. Thanks to his leadership along with my mom, brother and several friends’ encouragement, I enrolled in the photography school and have opened ASAP Photography”

Matt can be reached for a price quote or discussion of a particular assignment by calling 914-471-7029.