Hi, my name is Noah Hayes, but you probably already know that.

Chances are you have not yet met me or know much about me, so this page of my blog is here to help correct that and help you understand who I am, what inspired me to choose photography as a career and what my photographic style is (photographic style is at the bottom if you want to skip the rest).

Plain and simple: I'm a technology nerd who believes in true love (although I'm still searching). I bring my camera everywhere I go, just to capture all the little details that others pass by without noticing because they're too busy or too involved in what they're going to do next. I love movies (I quote them in my daily life all the time) and any listen to all types of music but bluegrass, and you can't get me away from the TV when Lost is on.

Growing up I always wanted to be a 3D animator for movies and television (an idea that popped into my head after seeing the movie "Jurassic Park"). I never took any classes on the subject (until college), and spent hours upon hours throughout middle school and high school learning the various software applications and reading all about various techniques on how to accomplish different tasks on the web. I loved being able to produce different environments and object and characters from my imagination and vision, and thought I'd never even dream of doing anything else... until I discovered video production, that is. I was exposed to the back-end of a pro-level video camera after volunteering to run a production booth at my church (I was asked if I'd be interested since I'd been running huge sound boards and lighting boards there for a few years and I had a passion for digital imagery.) I became more and more interested in videography and purchased my first semi-pro camcorder.

It was about this time that I graduated high school and started going to a local college with the intent of transferring to a larger school that offered 3D animation degrees. To earn some extra cash I got a job with a well known electronics retailer in the digital imaging department (cameras and camcorders). At the time I had little experience with still photography other than the small digital cameras my family owned. Due to my interest in 3D animation however, I honed my skills in design and photo editing software such as Photoshop, in order to edit my creations in the 3D worlds in my computer screen. This job was the beginning of an amazing transition for me, that I'm so incredibly grateful for.

My immediate supervisor at my job was an amateur photographer, but knew more than anyone I had ever met about what goes on inside a camera and how to use one to capture the images you saw in your head. He let me use his camera and experiment with various lenses and filters. I have a somewhat obsessive personality and I tend to try to absorb anything and everything I can on a given subject (once I've found something that interests me... which is probably why I never tried to absorb much about calculus). I spent the next several months reading everything I could about photography and videography. I still was planning on pursuing a career in animation, but decided to experiment in the field of videography. I purchased a HD camcorder and got a few jobs shooting theater productions and small events. I found a local videographer who offered to have me tag along on a wedding, and from there I shot about 3 wedding videos on my own.

All along while shooting these theater productions and weddings, my passion for still photography grew and grew. Every chance I got I'd go online and read blogs and forums for anything I could find that I hadn't read before. I tried out dozens of cameras from every make and model before I purchased my first DSLR (I had been using a film SLR that had been passed down to me). Then just as I did with videography, I slowly built up my experience and skills, shooting several weddings and events for people I knew, and then friends started telling their friends... and the rest is history!

So what should you expect when I'm hanging out with you all day? Well, I call my approach editorial photojournalism, but you're probably asking: "Okay...what does that really mean?"

Photojournalistic photography means, when you hire me I'm not going to stand there and direct your wedding for you. I'm not going to stop everything that's going on because I want something to go a certain way. I'm not going to tell you to freeze and pose when you're getting your makeup or hair done or expect you to stop while walking down the aisle to pose for a picture. Actually, when you're getting ready or when your ceremony is in progress, you probably won't even think about me being there. I want YOU to be the focus of attention, not me.  I'm going to stand back out of the way and capture what's happening all around you. This allows you to experience your wedding day the way you wanted it to go, ever since you started planning it when you were 5 years old (don't tell me you haven't been planning that long...I know you have!).

The editorial part comes in play to guide you into getting the most beautiful wedding photos of you on your special day. I may say your name or give you guidance during photos of you and your husband/wife as to let what you do naturally come out in your images I might say: "hold hands", "kiss", or "look at into each other's eyes". I'm not going to run up, grab your arms, and pose you and say "put your hand here, your foot here, chin here... okay hold that pose!" The reason I don't is that, is if I do, I'd be taking pictures of mannequin's and not individuals with their own vibrant personalities (and personality is a big part of what you love about each other).

You want to know something? I've got a secret formula to having a great wedding... you need peace of mind and two people who absolutely love each other. I'll bring the first part with me, you just need to bring the second! If you'd like to talk to me about being part of your day, and you think we can make that formula work, just give me a call (703.600.9523) or send me an email to set up a free consultation session, no strings attached!