Rain Hayes

Rain Hayes (USA) is a self-taught fine-art photographer and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area whose work uses infrared and ultraviolet light to reveal the hidden color, luminosity and beauty of the natural world. A native of Northern California’s rugged and rural Trinity Alps, Rain developed a deep appreciation for wild landscapes from an early age. Growing up, she viewed a camera much like a bicycle — simply one of the tools of life — and learned to shoot, process and print film while still young.

After spending years exploring other creative disciplines, Rain rediscovered photography during a journey along the Northern California coast. As she photographed the places she encountered, she realized that she could happily make pictures every day for the rest of her life and never become bored. Her fascination with invisible-light photography later began while experimenting with infrared at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, where familiar landscapes were transformed into something mysterious and dreamlike: dark water, luminous foliage and a world that appeared both real and unreal.

Rain’s work has since expanded into ultraviolet-induced visible fluorescence photography, revealing glowing colors and intricate details in flowers and other botanical subjects that exist beyond ordinary human vision. Her background in painting, metal sculpture, sewing and other creative disciplines continues to influence her careful approach to color, craftsmanship and visual storytelling. Working from her home studio, she also prints much of her own work and shares her knowledge through workshops and her KelbyOne course, Explore the Hidden World of Infrared Photography.

At the heart of Rain’s photography is a simple desire to create beauty and inspire a sense of wonder. Rather than asking every image to carry a grand message, she hopes her work gives people a moment of escape — an opportunity to stop, look more closely and think, “Oh, wow… isn’t this beautiful?” For Rain, that feeling of discovery is a story in itself.