Now, I’ve come across a good many photographers who are light crazy, meaning…there snaps are always clear and crisp and more often than not heavily posed in order to make the most of LIGHT, LIGHT, LIGHT. Haley Nord is not one of those, in fact, her use of shadow and her ability to capture the magic in situations of natural shadow and just about any light is no less than inspiring.
Looking through a portfolio of her shots of happy couples with their friends and family, it’s hard to believe that these are just ordinary people and not seasoned fashion models being paid megabucks to look awesome. This is a wedding photographer that Dreamers and Lovers just couldn’t pass up recommending.
Haley’s had a camera in her hand since she was a teenager but it was on leaving school that she started to realize that this was the path she wanted to follow for the rest of her life. Editorial and fashion photography emblazoned itself upon her heart, she fell in love with her ability to manifest mood and drama with no more than a camera and an understanding of light. I say ‘no more than’ but really, Haley’s understanding of light is clearly a God given talent, her wedding work is quite extraordinary…
Her motto of ‘fear is a liar’ shines through in her work, with images that are real and glorious, she manages to communicate the beauty in angles and scenarios that the ‘traditional wedding photographer’ would, perhaps, walk away from. The result is that raw bohemian enchantment that D&L brides were born for.
The only advice she has for brides when she’s on the job, ‘breath in, sink in, relax!
Haley maintains that it was no specific event, which triggered her to embrace the wedding photography industry. She sincerely finds joy in documenting that which is sacred and dear to the parties involved…she’s touching lives and she loves that. The only advice she has for brides when she’s on the job, ‘breath in, sink in, relax!’
It’s clear that Haley’s no stranger to love and she may even be something of a serious, die-hard romantic. Reading through Haley’s unmistakably boho website, www.haleynordphotography.com, I discovered that her beloved boyfriend is behind her every step of the way and that she credits him with teaching her how to find the beauty in life’s ‘little things.’
One of the other things, which make Haley such a perfect boho wedding photographer, is her preference for story-driven, editorial style work. She’s no fan of posting one photo at a time, for Haley it’s about seed…to a bud…to a rose…to a windstorm of stunning petals and a very, very happy ending! She wants people not just to see but also FEEL the story from start to finish and she gets it right every single time.
Haley’s photographic stories exude the feelings of the people captured in them; she’s not shy about getting close and personal, about getting real. For the couples who’ve left compliments on her website, they can hardly express their joy at being able to truly relive those moments, so much feeling has she captured in her work.
Haley’s style is really a mixture of just letting things unfold, anticipating moments and influencing outcomes
Haley’s style is really a mixture of just letting things unfold, anticipating moments and influencing outcomes. She’s more hands-on during formal shoots but beyond that she manages to create that million dollar editorial quality out of just about anything that happens during the day. There are artists who’ve inspired her during her life but not all of them are photographers…to name a few, Stevie Nicks, Theo Gosselin, Cormac McCarthy and Wong Kar-wai, specifically his film, “In the mood for love.”
Like many ‘meant to be’ photographers, Haley has a soft spot for shooting on film and because she, herself, learned in film, she always encourages others to experiment with it…in order to capture the extraordinary scenes she does at weddings though, she always shoots digital.
…that time a particular mother of the bride approached her to say thank you for showing her daughter how beautiful she is, not in a superficial way but for real
We’ve no doubt Haley receives plenty of heartfelt thank-you’s and compliments on her outstanding and inspired work but one that’s definitely stuck in her mind is the time a particular mother of the bride approached her to say thank you for showing her daughter how beautiful she is, not in a superficial way but for real. Haley says she’s never felt more flattered in her life because she always aims to show people the little beautiful things about themselves.
CREDITS: All photos here are by Haley Nord. The second and third photo, is of real bride Beth wearing the Dreamers & Lovers Azalea dress and Cindy veil.
