Nick Raz Photography – Oregon Wedding & Landscape Photographer

I’m Nick – the person behind the camera and owner of Nick Raz Photography.

About 8 years ago, I fell in love with telling stories, creating images of people in love and wide-open landscapes and even little, mundane moments. I shoot both digital and film, and love the raw quality that film carries. I had lived in Indiana my entire life, but recently, my deep appreciation for the outdoors told me it was time to move west (figuratively, of course). So here I am, in Bend, Oregon, and I absolutely love this place!!

I see photography as more than just a job, but an opportunity to tell a story and give others a chance to experience what I see. My goal is not just to photograph a moment, but also the feeling that lives alongside it, so the image becomes more than just a image and tells a timeless story. I combine intimate moments with vast landscapes and spaces, photographing them in a cinematic way. I love getting lost in my surroundings, whether it be on top of a mountain in a National Park or in the center aisle of a venue watching two humans in love say their vows to each other. Doing so creates emotions that I channel into my work. I believe in the value of a photograph, the power it has to bring back memories and channel laughter and tears and emotion, which is why I invest my time and energy creating images of humans in love.

One of my favorite parts of a wedding is shooting the details – the rings, dress, invitations, flowers, and even the ceremony and reception setups. Each wedding I’ve shot has been like none other, and I always love spending time grabbing photos of each unique detail. Sometimes I have to give myself time limits, though… My mind wanders and I can get carried away super easily, ha! And though I do love shooting the details, I think my favorite part of being a wedding photographer is when I get to sneak away with the couple and create magic with just the two of them. I love giving out-of-the-box prompts for some raw emotion, and then mixing it up with dramatic poses. I always use light to my advantage, and choose to make the most of any lighting situation I’m faced with. Some of my favorite images from weddings have come out of harsh storms, eerie indoor lighting, dramatic sunsets, and even the blue hour that follows. If you’re willing to run out in the rain to model for some soon-to-be stunning images, I’m right there with ya! Want to hike up a mountain for sunrise? Let’s do it!

When I’m not photographing weddings, I love to spend the majority of time in nature – hiking, biking, traveling, and photographing the world as I see it. Of course, Covid has screwed a lot of that up, so I’ve spent the last year dreaming of places I hope to visit in the future. You can find me at coffee shops or breweries editing photos and planning bucket-list trips around the world I may or may not take, and I most likely will have a camera in hand at all times – it’s just second nature at this point. Some of my favorite places I’ve explored are Iceland, Ireland, Montenegro, Washington, Montana, and the Southwest US. It’s my goal to visit all 50 states, and so far I’ve been fortunate enough to make it to 41 of the 50. Next on my list is Alaska and North Dakota. Some of my favorite photo trips I’ve taken have been in Iceland during the winter. It was there where I participated in two separate, one-month art residencies in rural, fishing villages, living alongside other artists from around the world and creating photographs of the surrounding areas. These rather isolating times I spent in this country radically shaped my photographic style and the reasons I create. The several photo series that came from these residencies capture moments of everyday life in those villages, but also display otherworldly moments such as the northern lights and intense snowstorms. My photographs embody the dreamlike sensation experienced while surrounded by nature and attest to the importance nature and community play in our everyday lives, an idea that translates through my wedding and elopement images as well.