Author: Matt

05 May

Posted at 15:12h in Shoots
matty_4.25.09_295 - Version 2 (1) I had an itch that needed to be scratched for a couple months now, and that itch was shooting a group models in elegant dresses in a classy environment. After weighing the options, we concluded that the Lairmont in Bellingham would be our best bet for making that happen, granted we were in the area already from the morning shoot. Armed with a car full of equipment, the same four models from the dafodill shoot, five makeup/hair artists, one film director shooting behind-the-scenes material, and the Lairmont, I was ready to scratch that itch. All 9 of the girls (model and makeup) headed to the basement of the Lairmont to do there thing. Dana Miller, my makeup/hair supervisor for the shoot, is quite the character. Blunt, in-your-face, sarcastic, and great at what she does... just the way I like 'em. I quickly give Dana the rundown on what kind of look I'm wanting for the models and she's off. I don't have to think about it again, Dana's got it covered.

21 Apr

Posted at 16:12h in Just for Fun
IMG_0782 The Museum of Glass installed a giant, new exhibit in one of the three water pools. It's composed with hundreds of pieces of glass, all illuminated at night. It took 40 artists over a year to make, quite a sight! If you get a chance, get down there and see it in person.

08 Apr

Posted at 09:25h in Shoots
IMG_0437 - Version 2 (1) I took a trip up to Bellingham this last weekend to prep for a larger shoot I'll be doing up there during the last weekend of April. I had gotten a new lens and was itching to try it out, so I asked Myrriah to do a little quickie shoot while I was in town. It was a relaxed and easy shoot, we shot down at Boulevarde Park. Saw a good spot, threw up a light, and shot her in front of the sunset.

07 Mar

Posted at 23:00h in Just for Fun
  If you were lucky enough to be in the PNW like myself, you know what a cold, wet, and extremely gusty day it was. Needless to say, part two of my industrial night lights shoot will have to wait for another day. Wind is a camera's worst enemy when attempting long exposures. Instead, I discovered the greenhouse in Wright Park, in down town Tacoma. I had never been there, and to my surprise, the climate controlled building housed a gigantic assortment of colorful flowers in bloom. I don't have a macro lens yet to take perfect macro shots, so my 50mm and 28-135mm lenses had to do. They turned out ok.

06 Mar

Posted at 21:38h in Just for Fun
IMG_0128 I just picked up the new Canon 5D Mark II, and have been itching to get out and spend some time doing some long exposures of the industrial area lights. I hit up a spot where I have previously shot, but now armed with a 21 megapixel camera, I knew I'd get better results. I'll be shooting the Federal Way side of the lights tomorrow night, which will be a new spot for me. I'll post those pics too if I get anything good.

22 Feb

Posted at 21:16h in Just for Fun

IMG_1068

Valentine's weekend, I ventured out to the Tacoma industrial area. I love this area as there are an infinite amount of photo possibilities. There are miles of roads, handfuls of old and/or abandoned buildings, rusty equipment, and textures of all kinds that cater to just about any style of photography, from wide angle shots to macros. It is a graveyard for industrial equipment and the unwanted things that are simply too large to keep around. You never know what you'll stumble across, I walked by an boat anchor the size of my car.

It was a pretty brisk Saturday, I made my way through the area swiftly as the cold bit at my bare hands. It was one of those days that I wanted to spend hours wandering around and taking a wide variety of shots and changing lenses, but it just got uncomfortable after a few minutes outside the comfort of my car. Days like that make you want the summer weather here just that much faster.

03 Feb

Posted at 11:36h in Shoots
IMG_0900 Lisa and I braved the cold and wind this last Saturday in Tacoma. We shot in two locations, downtown and out by a park near the Narrows. We were forced to limit each location to about 30 minutes as feet and hands were numb, and all we could think about was the warm car. We had great (lucky) timing with the tide and sunset, allowing for us to walk out to the piers, making a great setting. Where Lisa is standing, she would be completely under water at high tide.

12 Jan

Posted at 00:07h in Shoots

IMG_0385

This is the third and last set of photos taken the weekend of Jan. 2nd and 3rd. Mandy and I decided on a very cool spot for our shoot, an underground location in Bellingham, WA. It was not a heated space, so it was as cold as it was outside. And yes, if you recall, it was snowing everyday that week, so it was in the 30's where we were shooting. Mandy did a great job posing even though she was most likely going into shock from hypothermia. :)

We shot a few photos at this location for Jolaina's shoot for her senior pics. I thought it would be great for a themed shoot and to get a lot more creative with the space. Given the old, dusty, brick setting, Mandy had a great idea to do a vampire theme. Since it was going to be a very dark and fitting setting for such a theme, we went for it. And by viewing the gallery, you will most likely agree it fit right in.

07 Jan

Posted at 19:20h in Shoots

IMG_9954

I shot Myrriah directly after wrapping Jolaina's shoot, and I loved the backdrops from Jolaina's set so much I decided to use most them for Myrriah. Once again, I had the great hair and makeup artist, Dana Miller, doing a fabulous job on the models.

06 Jan

Posted at 19:31h in Shoots

IMG_9831

Jolaina was a great subject to photograph! She was up in Bellingham to finish off her senior photo shoot, and with the weather being so cold and nasty, we shot at a few really excellent indoor locations. Along with a couple casual outfits, we shot her in a beautiful dress she will be wearing to prom, as well as her jersey. You'll notice in Jolaina's gallery a few silly photos of her with some other girls who accompanied her to the shoot. I couldn't resist and threw them into a few shots for a break and a good laugh. Thanks to all who participated and assisted on this very fun shoot!

A special thanks to Dana Miller, for doing a fantastic job on Jolaina's hair and makeup, and Andy for access to the shooting locations.

03 Jan

Posted at 22:25h in Info/News

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="355" caption="Image courtesy of Andy L."][/caption] What a great holiday weekend in Bellingham! Thanks to my three great models - Jolaina, Myrriah, and Mandy, I got to shoot to my hearts content. And...

28 Dec

Posted at 15:39h in Info/News

Wow, what a great holiday break! The PNW doesn't get much snow, and it rarely is in good form during Christmas, but boy, did it fail to disappoint this year. As much as I would have wanted to, I didn't get to go on any...

15 Dec

Posted at 16:31h in Info/News

It's that time, where my photography has reached a level where a recognizable brand image is becoming more important. Finding it a good transition time, I've also changed the 'name' of the business from "Matthew McDaniel Photography" to "Matty Photography." It's shorter, therefore, easier to...

09 Dec

Posted at 09:43h in Shoots

 Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to shoot Heather. Now... as warm and fuzzy and comfortable as this girl may look, I assure you, it was pretty darn cold, high 40's at best. This was shot in an open ended parking garage, so it was outdoor temps. You won't find many bike riders out in the middle of December, let alone a girl posing for a couple hours in minimal clothing! Heather was quite the trooper and very enthusiastic throughout the shoot, despite the goosebumps that neglected to leave her body for the duration of the shoot.

The parking garage we shot in has a ton of character. At one point, graffiti covered every inch of the old building, that is, until the city found it an eye sore and covered it all up with a light gray paint. Random drops and splashes of paint scattered along the wood floor was the only thing left of the art that has been erased. I really wish it was still around for the shoot. Still, this old garage is a great place to shoot!

28 Nov

Posted at 16:37h in Info/News

I couldn't tell you how many of my favorite captures fall into the 'at the right place at the right time' category. By that, I mean the pictures that I just happened to have my camera either in my bag, in my hands, or in...

20 Nov

Posted at 16:58h in Gear, Info/News

Every time I hear the words "weapon of choice," I think of Christopher Walken dancing around like a fool in Fatboy Slim's music video. And to be honest, the first time I slapped the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens on my camera body, I...

11 Nov

Posted at 21:47h in Info/News

Long exposures can produce some excellent night captures. Messing with shutter speeds longer than a couple seconds can reveal interesting new avenues to play with light. The displayed picture is 20 second long exposure of the Tacoma industrial area at 10:30pm. The stacks' smoke is...

08 Nov

Posted at 19:58h in Shoots

Lisa and I ventured to an old, out of commission bridge, which connects downtown Tacoma to it's industrial area. It's always fun visiting this bridge, since it is closed to vehicle traffic, you can walk all over it on foot. It is a very funny...