Marina Hernandez - ”Chicana Pride”

Marina Hernandez started with pop-up tents at a swap meet and an idea: bring affordable, old-school photography back to her community.

Marina joins Jay and Gary to talk about building her business in East Las Vegas, learning from her father's welding company, and creating a studio with his help. The name and style of her work carry pieces of her family and neighborhood, right down to the way she spells her social handle.

She also describes being told she was too Chicana for a business setting and why changing herself was never the point of opening a studio. The conversation explores cultural pride, the pressure to fit someone else's idea of professionalism, and the pleasure of seeing your own community reflected in art. Between those questions are family stories, food, cars, and the humor that makes the conversation feel familiar.

What We Explore

• Starting a photography business at a swap meet
• Learning business and marketing from her father
• Building a studio together
• Affordable photography and the memories it preserves
• Chicana identity and other people's expectations
• Choosing a place within her community
• Family, cultural expression, and creative pride

About Marina Hernandez

Marina Hernandez is a Chicana photographer and business owner in East Las Vegas. Her photography draws on the visual style, memories, and community she grew up around.

Marina: @memori.es702 on Instagram and TikTok.

The Tragedy Academy

Candid conversations exploring the human experience through tragedy and triumph.

Hosted by Jay Hicks and Gary DeFranco.

Be cool. Keep learning. 🌳

The Tragedy Academy is a show created to bridge societal divides in a judgment-free zone using candor and humor. 

Be cool. Keep Learning.