My Story

My Story

ABOUT ME
Hello!I'm Niel Hayes.I fell in love with photography back in high school, shooting for the yearbook and dreaming of one day becoming a professional sports photographer. Life took me down a different path. I earned my master’s degree in mechanical engineering and built a career in research and development. But through it all, my camera never left my side.

What has always pulled at me most is the outdoors. The silence of the desert, the brilliance of a night sky untouched by city lights, the way the stars remind you how small you are and how connected we all are. Out there beneath the Milky Way, there is a stillness and a sense of wonder that no words can fully capture, but photography comes close.



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Niel & Dani Hayes
My wife and the night sky. both constant reminders of how beautiful and fleeting this world can be.

Two Loves of My Life

My wife, Dani Hayes, and I recently moved to St. George, Utah, to be surrounded by that magic every day. With five national parks nearby and some of the darkest skies in the country, we are building a life rooted in adventure, beauty, and presence, soaking in every bit of this world’s vastness.

For me, photography is not just about an image. It is about honoring those fleeting moments of awe and sharing them in a way that makes people pause, breathe, and feel part of something greater.

My greatest hope is to share the wonder I see with others. Through my lens, I want people to feel the vastness of a desert horizon, the quiet power of a star-filled sky, and the peace that comes from standing still in nature. If my work can bring even a glimpse of that beauty into someone’s everyday life, then I’ve done what I set out to do.