Meet Haley Nord: Photographer & Travel Enthusiast
Haley Nord is a wedding photographer and self-proclaimed desert rat based in Utah.
Haley specializes in documenting elopements amongst the stunning natural backdrops provided by Utah’s vast landscapes. These aren’t your run of the mill wedding photos, but rather deeply intimate portraits capturing sacred rituals.
Recently Haley has been expanding her range, photographing interiors for Studio Hædra, as well as photographing our trips to Oaxaca. Haley’s style has been elemental in building the visual identity of Crafted Path Travel and we couldn’t be happier to collaborate (and travel!) with her.
How did you get into taking photos professionally?
I started taking photographs for modeling agencies, as a way to pursue a career in fashion. From there, my interests have spanned editorial work for outdoor companies, to intimate weddings in the middle of the desert. I’ve been lucky to reinvent myself in this career path several times.
Have you always loved to travel? When did you start traveling regularly?
I did not travel with my family growing up, but was lucky to find a career that allowed me to travel and expand my horizons from a young age. My first trip was to San Francisco, and I fell in love with places that have a distinct character to them. Traveling for both work and fun have been an important part of my life since.
When you travel is there something you always make a point to do, like some kind of travel ritual?
When I travel, it’s always important to me that my money and efforts go towards the people and culture whose home I’m visiting. This means doing research on which restaurants to go to, businesses to patron and important sites to visit. I love to begin every visit with an activity that will help me understand the Indigenous lineage of a place. For example in Oaxaca, that was a visit to Monte Alban with a Zapotec guide who provided context on the bridge from the people who built the site, to modern day Zapotec people. I feel like this always enrichens my experience of a place, and helps me travel as ethically as possible.
Where is your favorite place to travel?
My favorite places to travel always revolve around the desert in some way. There are places in Utah where you can backpack for days and not see another person, that allow you to fully immerse yourself both into the land, and allow you respectfully observe art that is thousands of years old. I always feel most inspired in places that allow for immersion in both the landscape and cultures past and present.
What are your favorite travel snacks that you like to take with you when you’re on the go?
I always travel with some kind of electrolyte mix, and fig bars. Once I’m at a place, I love to find a local spot to stock up on snacks that I might not be able to try at home. I love to make a friend and ask what snacks or food they love that they wish more tourists would try. Sometimes this means you’re eating spicy chapulines (crickets!) at the mercado in Oaxaca!
What’s inspiring about Oaxaca to you?
Oaxaca has a palpable feel - the food, culture, and art all feel distinct and special. Around 70% of people in Oaxaca are Indigenous, which means all of those things have a direct tie to a very cohesive identity that I find inspiring. There are dozens of ancestral varieties of corn, the symbols used in weaving have deep ties to both spirituality and artistic heritage, all of which are preserved by a people who celebrate and uplift their culture. As an artist, getting to witness this preservation of tradition is incredibly inspiring and hopeful to me.
What do you think is the draw to Oaxaca for creatives?
Oaxaca has all the ingredients for a creative person to feel inspired. The food is deeply nourishing and restorative, there is hardly a separation from art and daily life, and the landscape is awe-inspiring. I love that every day you can meet someone who has a deep love and passion for the thing they do, whether making a decades old family mole recipe, passing on their weaving tradition to their children, or making a block print poster for a local film festival. Oaxaca allows for a respectful way to support and honor artistic traditions, which for me is one of the most inspiring parts of travel.
