Joshua Herrera is an American Licensing Contributor based in Charlotte, North Carolina. A Former US Paratrooper, Joshua applies his sense of adventure to his photography, aiming to capture authenticity in his captivating lifestyle photographs.
Q: What led you to photography? Did you always want to be a photographer?
A: I was always bouncing from hobby to hobby, and I could never really find anything that I didn’t get bored of besides being outdoors and hiking. One day I saw a video about landscape photography, and I was like, “That is perfect, it’s hiking with a camera”.
Photography was the perfect mixture of technology and outdoors, once I started, I was hooked. Ever since then, it has been my dream to be a professional photographer.
Q: You shoot a lot of lifestyle content that is very versatile within commercial photography. Are there any commercial trends that inspire the themes within your content?
A: I pay attention to the 500px Quests a lot, even the past Quests, and use them as inspiration for my photos. One trend that has been blowing up lately, that I love to incorporate into my work, is true beauty. Being true to yourself, loving yourself, and letting the world see the real you. I love the models I use to be true, and to try not to be someone they aren’t.
Q: You have a great eye when it comes to composing your photos. Are there any rules that you follow to ensure you maintain strong compositions?
A: Leading lines, rule of thirds, and center compositions are all things I pay attention to if I see it can benefit the photo—but I don’t like to force it. I look through the viewfinder and let the image frame itself.
Q: Do you have a favorite shoot to date? Is there a particular image that stands out? Why?
A: I had a recent trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains during the peak fall season—it was absolutely beautiful—and I was able to get one of my dream shots, which I posted to 500px called “Dream Shot”. There isn’t anything in particular that stands out about the photo, it’s just a dream photo of mine, and just the raw beauty of the mountains during fall is absolutely unparalleled.
Q: You regularly participate in our Quests, have any of the themes encouraged you to shoot?
A: The ‘Let’s go camping Licensing Quest’ definitely inspired my wife and me to go out and enjoy Mother Nature.
Q: You recently traveled to Charleston, USA, and shot a series of images that encourage the “solo female travel” concept. What inspired these particular photos?
A: Charleston was amazing, and my wife (the model) has always been a strong independent person, and I wanted to capture that through those photos.
Q: Your photo “Charleston Vacation” in this series is particularly striking. I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about what lead up to this moment?
A: That photo was 100 percent candid. I carry my camera around with me everywhere, and we were having so much fun in the water. I just snapped away and was able to capture that very special moment.
Q: Where would you like to travel to next?
A: That’s an easy question—Portland, Oregon.
Q: You joined 500px in 2018 and submitted your first image to Licensing late last year, what initially inspired you to begin Licensing your content?
A: As an aspiring pro photographer, I wanted to share my images in any way possible, and 500px had a great user interface and overall easy to use design—I just stuck with it.
Q: What was the last thing you learned about commercial photography that you now incorporate into your current photography practice?
A: HAVE FUN. Honestly, sometimes I get caught up on an idea, and the photos might come out looking stiff or overly posed. So, I always tell myself to have fun and let the photos come naturally.
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