Connor Jay Nelson is a Western North Carolina photographer based in Asheville. His body of work includes landscape and wedding photography on film, seasonal graduation photos, and studio portraiture. A mountain resident since 2019, Connor’s artistic vision is continuously inspired from each day spent among the natural beauty of the region. He strives to capture the essence of a scene through thoughtful composition and precise exposure – an approach that has proven successful across various photographic mediums and styles. His most prominent composition style places subjects slightly off center, producing pleasing leading lines, deep layering, and breathtaking scale. Scenes in this style attain a perfect balance across vertical, horizontal, and diagonal planes. The revelation of this approach came from many trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway – witnessing the vast landscapes, spotting unique subjects within them, and using the natural layering of the mountains to enhance these directional planes.
Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Connor’s initial interests in photography came from watching lake sunsets during family camping trips to Lake Hartwell & Lake Keowee. His camera of choice at the time was the iPhone 5. Even to this day, the photos are meaningfully beautiful and formative to Connor’s journey as a photographer.
Connor is also an established arts administrator and musician. He is currently the Administration & Operations Associate at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts located in Downtown Asheville. His work spans various departments including artist contracts and relations, ticket sales, event management, marketing, and strategic organizational planning. Wortham’s unique position as a three-venue facility welcomes over 200 performances and events a year from national and international touring groups, regional promoters, local community partners, and other civic and corporate organizations.
Connor holds a B.A. in Music from Western Carolina University. There he served as a Drum Major of the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band, as the Education Officer and Song Director of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, and performed as a trumpet player with the WCU Wind Ensemble, Trumpet Ensemble, and on numerous solo recitals.
