I have an exciting collection of old cameras, a fondness for children’s books, and an eager smile for a cuppa tea. I live in Cape Town with my lego-loving husband and our scottish pup named Whisky. I have always been a keen observer, a fly on the wall, paying notice to life in all its wonder. I like to approach my photography in the same way. To me, there is something supremely magical about capturing those teenytiny moments that whizz on by before your eyes.

I feel incredibly blessed to have been given this calling. To have an eye that notices the magic in an ordinary moment and a heart that beats for the simple joys in life is a true privilege. It is an honor to be able to capture a little piece of your story that will be savored and shared for years to come.

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye”

– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

MY APPROACH

I work in a documentary, photo-journalistic style. This means no weird poses or stiff moments. I like to be as unobtrusive as possible, documenting your story as it naturally unfolds, and capturing the true essence of who you are. My goal is always to keep things simple, fuss-free and organic. Professionalism is very important to me, and more so, is ensuring you have a relaxed and enjoyable time while I am snapping away, be it on your wedding day, time spent with your family, or those precious first moments with your newborn bundle of joy.

The true magic of a photograph lies in the sincerity of the moment!

CLIENT LOVE

“Without a doubt one of the most enjoyable experiences of our wedding preparation was our dealings with Hayley Nixon of Hayley Takes Photos. Thank you for your advice, guidance and professionalism. You turned a mundane wedding formality into such a beautiful and fun experience. I will never know how you managed to capture the shots you did, but I am eternally thankful for them. Thank you for allowing us to relive our wedding in your photos, and most of all we are grateful to call you our friend.”
– Anina + Mikhail

“Hayley thank you so much! These are absolutely incredible photos. Such a treat to relive the day again. You captured our day PERFECTLY. We are totally blown away. We agreed last night having you there was one of the best decisions we made, as everything you’ve done has been perfect.”
– Marianne + Adam

“WOW Hayley, I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE our pics, thank you so much! I had a look through them last night and what a treat! We absolutely loved having you as our photographer, you were so easy and we felt so relaxed, a really great experience. Thank you so very much my friend!”
– Margaux + Richard

“Wow – Albert and I are speechless! Last night he came home with the best package ever : our wedding photos! We sat together and went through every single photo and were just mesmerized. Thank you SO much for your hard work and for capturing our weekend so incredibly well! We appreciate your style and effort SO much and will never be able to thank you enough for these beautiful images. I keep going through them and seeing new little bits and pieces every time. They are wonderful! And such a perfect memory captured so well. We are forever grateful.”
– Anel + Albert