Life & Work with Noel Lay

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.
Photography took me by surprise in the past couple of years! Growing up and through college, I had the intention of becoming a biology teacher. In 2019, I went to graduate school as Ph.D. student for a couple of years…flash forward to marrying a videographer and dealing with a lot of life changes and challenges, my husband (Justin) and I decided it would be best for me to finish up school early with a Master’s Degree. What a difficult decision that was! I love science, I love teaching, and I wanted to do my best to steward the educational opportunities God had given me.

However, I also wanted to work more closely with Justin in our freelance media business, JLay Media. After much prayer, I decided to take the plunge and pursue photography. My first shoot was for a couple of friends that needed headshots. I was SO nervous and had SO much to learn. But it got my hands on a stills camera, and a couple of months later, I bought my own Canon R6. I reached out to friends and family to let me practice shooting, and within a few months, I realized that not only was I way less stressed by pursuing this job, but I was having so much fun, even while being challenged and stretched.

To this day, I still love biology and will continue to take smaller-scope opportunities to be involved in research or teaching, but I also just love people. Both education and photography allow me to serve, encourage, and welcome people into uncomfortable places. Whether learning challenging material for academic purposes or standing in front of a camera for the first time, I thrive on encouraging those around me. Photography allows me to create tangible, beautiful things, and that is so fun!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a photography business was, in one sense, a smooth transition. My husband had been doing freelance videography and editing for a while. He’d been in post-production for even longer, and so I’d been around cameras and had a second shot for him a few times. He’d already been shooting weddings, and that’s where I thrived with him. So in many ways, I got my feet off the ground quickly by God’s grace. I was also familiar with the flexible schedule, having been a student for what felt like forever. Honestly, I really didn’t want to go get a normal 9-5 job, ha!

Even with the smooth transition, learning so much about photo composition, directing clients, and especially editing was really overwhelming. I’m so grateful I kept going and that I had my husband and close friends to encourage me. I took the opportunity to learn from friends we’d worked with previously who were well-established in their photography businesses.

Sometimes running a small business is overwhelming when there is a slow season. Where will more work come from, and when? But I have been reminded multiple times to rely on God, pray for more work, and trust that He will always provide! And he always does.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a wedding and portrait photographer. My absolute favorite types of shoots are engagement shoots, where I go explore with a newly engaged bride and groom. I love finding a beautiful place, playing with the golden light, and capturing genuine laughter.

But I also love a wedding day, where I anticipate and document moments both large and small, private or on display–a teary-eyed glance from grandma toward her beautiful granddaughter in a white wedding dress or the loving gaze of the groom looking at his bride during a portrait session. Either way, I’m all in for moments.

There are two aspects of my work in particular that I am very proud of:

1). I am able to bring people in front of my camera and guide them in such a way where they feel comfortable and trust that their photos will turn out beautifully. As someone who is realllly uncomfortable in front of a camera, I know I can sympathize with nerves and insecurities and reassure my clients during the process. They always tell me they had so much fun and that I made the process really easy for them.

2). I deliver photos really quickly. Entire wedding galleries are delivered within 3 weeks, and my couples will always receive previews within a few days of their wedding. Sometimes I’m able to send a whole gallery within a week, it just depends on my schedule. But I love this aspect of my work. Why would I let my couples invest so much time, money, and research into a photographer and then let them wonder when they will receive their photos? They’ve spent weeks and months planning their shoot or wedding. I want them to enjoy those photos as soon as possible.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
The Lord has been really kind in providing means and people to help me along the way. One of those is my husband, Justin, who teaches, supports, and encourages me throughout all of my work. He notices when I improve and tells me, and he understands the challenges that come with this territory. He’s taught me a lot of technical knowledge with cameras, too, which has been fundamental in my gaining skill quickly. When he has come along on a wedding day to second shoot for me, he gets so excited that I am now directing him and he gets to work for me! I love his enthusiasm seeing me take the reins in this aspect of our business.

Second, friend Mercy Hasselblad from Hasselblad Studios has been really impactful. Whether she knows it or not, has been a huge encouragement to me. She’s brought me along on weddings to second shoot for her, she’s shared resources and gear, and she’s cheered me on as she sees my work. It means a lot coming from someone who has so much experience, talent, and hard-earned skills. I remember at the second wedding I did with her, she told me, “Alright, go ahead and do your thing! I trust you.” And that instilled a wave of confidence in me.

There are many others, but I’ll lastly mention my best friend Nellie, who models for me, assists me at shoots, and most recently has started second shooting for me. She’s so encouraging and always wants to share my work and tell me her favorite shots. She has been a great teammate, too, even in front of the camera. She was the first model I had and gave me the opportunity to practice understanding my camera and lenses and how to direct a client.

Pricing:

• Couple’s Shoots Starting at $500 (1.5 hour shoot)
• Wedding Photography Starting at $2500 – 1-2 Photographers, 10-12 hours of event coverage, custom timeline consultation, engagement photos, 3 week delivery, Online PrintShop
• Wedding Photo + Video Combos: Starting at $4000
• Senior Photos $350-$500 (1 Hour, two outfits, one locatoin)

Contact Info:

• Website: jlayweddings.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noeljlayphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jlaymedia

Image Credits
Photos by Noel Lay