Today we’d like to introduce you to Noel Lay
Hi Noel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story kind of starts with dinosaur bones. Not really a common way for wedding photographers to begin their journey.
I went to school for biology, and went on to start a PhD program where I studied biology and paleontology. At the same time, I was dating my husband who is a videographer. We got into shooting the occasional wedding video, and he ended up proposing to me while I did field work studying a Cretaceous dinosaur bone bed! Pretty amazing stuff.
After we got married there was a lot going on in our lives, and I realized it was time to take a step back from school, get my Master’s degree, and spend time diving into the world of photography and videography. I loved all the weddings we had done together while I was in school, and so it was the perfect time to step back from academia, recover from some life craziness, and see what could happen! Flash forward about 2 years, and I am a full time wedding photographer. I can’t believe I get to make my living documenting people’s biggest milestones. Engagements, weddings, and even maternity every once and a while. It is a serious privilege to be behind the camera and capturing love.
Occasionally I do get to step back into science, teaching at my undergrad university, but for now I am most occupied by weddings! Recently I also added film to our packages, which is SO fun. I love shooting on film in our personal life, too, just to document our own special memories.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I feel like it’s rarely perfectly smooth, no matter what you’re doing right? I’ve had a lot to learn when it comes to photography and business. Thankfully, a lot of the shooting side of things came pretty naturally to me, and I can learn shooting things fairly quickly. Editing was a challenge for a while, and that just takes time to figure out. I’m still learning, and always will be, but I’ve really found a style I love. True to life colors, some film inspired nostalgia, but all truly timeless.
Sometimes I struggle with balancing all the business side of things. I am SO grateful to be so busy. I literally decided one day to become a wedding photographer, and less than 2 years later I’m making a full time income. But it definitely takes time to figure out my workflows, what I need to do each day, and make goals for where I’m going.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Man, I am just so proud of how comfortable and at ease our clients are with us and in front of our cameras. So many people feel nervous before a photoshoot or a little stressed on their wedding day. It’s honestly SO normal, and understandable. But so many of our couples rave about how easy we made everything for them. From being in front of the camera to making sure everything goes smoothly, we really take care of our couples. Becoming friends with clients is just the best. It makes everything SO easy. I love when couples can be themselves, laugh with each other and with me, and trust me to take care of them.
Not only that, but it’s such a joy to send back their images so quickly. We deliver photos within 3 weeks, which is less than half the industry standard time, and we send videos back within 6-10 weeks. It serves our couples so well because who wants to wait months to look back at all the memories from their day??
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Specifically for photographers who don’t know anyone in the industry, find other photographers who are local to your area whose work you like! Search your area on instagram and just see who comes up. Reach out on social media and see if you might be able to work together! Maybe you can second shoot for each other or just ask questions. I really think making local friends is so important. There are plenty of weddings to go around, and making industry friends and connections is really rewarding. Finding other photographers who can relate to you, give you advice, and shoot with you is the best! I’ve done this with photographers over Instagram by reaching out and asking if they second shoot ever, so that I can potentially hire them for help sometime at a wedding. Making that connection has been really valuable. I have been able to shoot alongside people, see how they work, and ask questions about their work!
Pricing:
- Wedding Photography – $4000
- Engagement Sessions $800
- Wedding Videography – $3500
- Photo + Video Combos – Average $7000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jlayweddings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noeljlayphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jlaymedia
- Other: https://www.google.com/maps/place/JLay+Media/@36.7949747,-129.9073074,3795642m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m8!3m7!1s0xa75aae023d329431:0x2745242186c7bd15!8m2!3d37.2691675!4d-119.306607!9m1!1b1!16s%2Fg%2F11vsbqy5_r?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDEwMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
