Jay Kazen

Meet Jay



I have always had a hard time writing about myself--I find it better to describe my passions to help create an image of who I am--I'm obsessed with experiences and moments. I'm in love with light and i'm addicted to traveling.

I long for early morning sunrises, the sound of the wind through the trees, the grandeur of the mountains, the roar of the ocean and the solitude of the deserts.

There is a special spot in my heart for wildlife and protecting their natural habitats. If I am not photographing people you can bet that I am out in the wilderness camping tracking animals and hiking out to catch those dramatic landscapes.

Fernweh (n.): an ache for distant places. A craving for travel.

It's difficult to describe my "style" of shooting. I have been teaching photographers for the past 4 years and I often tell them that you shoot and edit to capture the emotion of the subject. You are not just capturing how it is seen with the naked eye. It's our job as a photographer to put the emotion in to our creation. The final products that I produce are influenced heavily by the feel of the moment and location that we are shooting.

"You don't take a photograph. You make it". -Ansel Adams

Per capturing your special day, I want you to feel like you have a friend with you. Not just a paid professional trying to complete a job. This is one of the most important days of your life and i'm going to do everything in my power to capture every little detail of it. I find it very important for us to meet up and chat; Get to know each other and interact in person before we delve in to any kind of shoot. This eases a ton of tension. It's crucial to feel comfortable around each other. 


As of late, I have been super inspired to combine my passion for travel with photographing couples. Let me know if you have a desire or vision of a place to shoot. I'm always up for an adventure. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my work. Feel free to shoot me a message with any questions you have.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.