Matty Blog

16 Nov

Posted at 13:58h in Info/News, Shoots
matty_11.7.10 081 Yep, that's right. My photo studio in Bellingham is up and running, ready to shoot any day, any time. I bought a couple great props for the space, including this badass lounge you see in Myrriah's set here. I came across this lounge, never seen anything like it, had to buy it. I'm guessing it'll be a popular request for many shoots to come. I asked good friend and model, Myrriah if I could steal a couple hours of her time to help me break-in the studio with the first shoot. I've used Myrriah in quite a few shoots. I know that she'll give me what I need in order to accomplish the visual concepts that are floating around in my head. Plus having that long working relationship together, things just come together real easily, and we pump out some good stuff. This time around I simply said "so for this I want sexy with a pinch of attitude."

13 Nov

Posted at 16:14h in Just for Fun
catPrints2 No, I'm not talking about the good kind of prints, like photograph prints. I'm talking about animal prints, more specifically, cat prints. Long, frustrating story short, I'm getting my shower redone in my bathroom. We are talking complete teardown of walls, tile, underlying cement, and replacing it with all new stuff in the reverse order. So the project is coming to an end (finally), the new walls are up and the cement floor was applied. The contractor doing the work forgot to close the bathroom door after he was done working for the day, and my curious/pain-in-the-ass/relentless cat, Coal, decided to investigate the newly poured cement. Sure enough, I walk into the bathroom and see about a dozen cat prints pressed deeply into the fresh mix. Of course I'm thinking "Ok, so if I was a cat, I'd be curious, and I might take a step in to look around." Why would he continue to step after sinks a paw into cement? How about 12 or so more times? I really wonder about this cat sometimes. As mad as I was, I had to appreciate the humor in the situation and snapped a couple pics with a P 'n S real quick. Maybe he felt like leaving his mark, much like a kid will write his name in a wet sidewalk. Coal can't write so I guess a series of paw prints is the next best thing.

02 Nov

Posted at 19:08h in Just for Fun, Tips & Techniques
michael-jordan We all know who that man is, flying through the air, dunking a basketball. If you were to poll a bunch of people and ask them who the best basketball player of all-time is, I don't think any of us could argue that the masses would most likely utter "Michael Jordan" more times than any other name. No, he's not a photographer, but a prime example of someone who has failed over and over, yet he is the image of success. When you think of Mike, you think of thee best basketball player ever. Please watch the following video before continuing with the post.

29 Oct

Posted at 11:14h in Just for Fun, Tips & Techniques

inceptionHallway

Breaking from the Herd

It seems simple, right? I mean, you, as a photographer, just have to take pictures. How hard is that, how hard is it to just go take pictures? The hard part isn't clicking the button, it's not understanding apertures or shutter speeds, it's not even finding the time to go click that button, or enduring the bite of the cold wind as you work outside in the not-so-pleasant months of the year. For me, I think the hard part is the state of mind. It's being in "the groove," getting the creative juices free flowing, properly executing your unique perspective on the chunk of the world you are capturing in present time. It's creating photographs that are new, different, and refreshing to look at. We live in such a contradictory world. We live in a place where we are taught, either directly through our friends, family, and peers, or indirectly through magazines, news, and other media outlets how we should live our lives and think. It's the message that you are brainwashed with since day 1 of your life, "you will do this, look like this, act like this, spend money like this if you want to be happy and successful" (in a nutshell). We are taught to live by these rules, walls, and boundaries all over the place, to emulate that which is around us in both a personal and professional sense (coincidentally, we call these people who follow the rest of the flock "normal"). Yet, at the same time individualistic, out-of-the-box thinking is what people stop to appreciate, it's this thinking process that separates them from the rest. We tend to call it "breaking the mold" when something comes along and slaps us in the face, opening our own minds through other people's visions and creations. It's a really cool thing. Simply put, it's inspiring. In a way, inspiration for me is basically an escape from the mundane, it reminds me how important it is for myself to continue to create original works. Inspiration is my fuel as a photographer, it keeps my head in the right place, and keeps my work fluid and the ideas rolling in. For me, it's a kick in the ass to ensure I continue to think "outside of the box." It's a large motivator to keep me shooting, shooting personal work when I'm not shooting clients.

25 Oct

Posted at 23:53h in Info/News

Happy B-day, Blog. It's been fun, and kinda amazing you are entering your terrible 2's. Let's hope (for the both of us), it's not that terrible of a year. ;) This being the 132nd post, I'm quite proud, watching you grow over the last two...

25 Oct

Posted at 19:11h in Shoots
matty_10.20.10 068 So, I got an interesting phone call the other day from a girl named Hope. She wanted to do a senior photo shoot with me, cool I'm all for it. Next comes my standard question, "what did you have in mind, any locations or styles that sound fun?" The response, simply awesome. "I want it to look like I'm in a jungle," she tossed back. I'm sure a smile was detectable over the phone as I replied, "ok." The smile for a couple reasons. First, only a teenager would let that be the first thing spill out of their lips when asked what kind of shoot they want. Secondly, and most importantly, this is the stuff that makes photography fun for me. The challenges, even ones that arise by step-one in the profession of photography - the location. Brazil, maybe Central America, hell, even Miami that might be doable... but a jungle in Tacoma, Washington. Rare is a spot in Washington that screams "jungle," but fortunately a spot came to mind fairly quickly. There just so happens to be an exotic plant shop in North Tacoma, and the owner is extremely friendly, who had no problem with me shooting there. So, vuala, our jungle location is sewn-up, we were shooting later that week.

25 Oct

Posted at 15:22h in Shoots
matty_10.17.10 016 Spent sometime with Ray the other day, taking some senior pictures. He is also very involved in dirt bike racing, so he brought is motorcycle along for the shoot. The location for me was a no-brainer. I mean... I'm not liking the idea of Ray and his bike in the middle of the city. I'm all for contrasting subjects/environments, but I just didn't want to force this one. I decided on a wooded scene for this shoot. Ray is also flirting with the possibility of future modeling, so we shot these with a little more attitude than your normal senior photos.

24 Oct

Posted at 18:46h in Events
matty_10.16.10 249 I was in attendance for the Emergency Food Network's 'Amazing Abundance Auction' the other weekend, and for a couple reasons. Most importantly, I was there to capture the event. Secondly, I was there to enjoy the product which accounted for about an entire week of my evenings. That was the video I captured/edited for EFN for displaying at this event and future presentations. You can view that video by clicking here. I'd estimate about 500-600 guests in total for the event. Over the last year, I've pretty much established myself as EFN's photographer, which I've greatly enjoyed. This last larger project, which tasked me to visit all of the locations and aspects of EFN operations, I captured photo and video. A very humbling experience. At one point, I was capturing material at a hot meal site where those less fortunate came for a lunch. A middle-aged couple stopped and asked for a photo of the two of them. As I raised a $6,000 dollar camera setup to take their photo, it really hit me how lucky I was, and I almost felt embarrassed in a way. Here they were just trying to get a meal, and I had thousands of dollars of equipment hanging off my shoulders. I turned, took their photo, and they just went on about there business, didn't ask how to get the photo, they just wanted to be documented as part of the experience. This photo has touched me most through the project, I feel it's the best out of the months of photos and video that I captured. It's the pic below here.

19 Oct

Posted at 14:34h in Just for Fun, Shoots
matty_10.18.10 037 Meet Pearl, my brand new 2011 Honda CR-Z. She arrived about a week ago, straight off of the truck, seats still covered in plastic when I sat inside. I had to order her straight from the Honda factory, as there was only ONE of these cars in the entire state that was the model and color that I was after, and it got snatched up the same day I went to get it. Worked out for the better, cause there is just something cool about being the first one to sit in the car after it is delivered. Being that we live in Washington and we are heading into the rainiest part of the year, I figured it best to do a photo shoot with the car right away while it's nice and shiny and the weather was still decent. Now... as cool as this car is, Honda just failed to deliver a good marketing package with it, at least visually. To make your decision about the car via Honda's website and not in person would be a tragedy. It's such a beautiful car, with striking lines and curves... they just don't translate well in Honda's photo set. I'm not saying I took better overall photos of the car, but at least mine look "real." The photos on their site are SO over-processed, almost have an HDR feel to them that completely disconnect the raw visuals from the car. If you go to the site you'll see exactly what I mean, they look like artists renditions of the car. I could see if a car wasn't all that it was cracked up to be, so marketing teams would do their best to give an ok car an awesome look in the marketing. But I'd say Honda did the exact opposite here, the photos simply fail the car in most ways.

18 Oct

Posted at 11:07h in Gear, Just for Fun, Tips & Techniques, Video
6-canonMerlin Been integrating more video work in with my clients. I'm experiencing that once business clients know that I can shoot/cut video along side the photos, they ask for it. And why not? At a flip of a switch, I can go from photos to video, both top quality products out of the same device, pretty neat. I say that loosely, although you can make the transition to capturing photos or video with a flip of a switch, there is a bit more to it than that. Obviously photos and video capturing have a lot in common, but as much as they have in common they also have just as much that separates the two arts. First, you have a completely different selection process for what to capture in each medium. Some things are best captured with photos, some with video. Understanding and getting a feel for working to each medium's strengths will greatly improve efficiency and the overall product given to the client. With photos, you have the luxury and power of flash/strobes to blast light, greater controlling your environment. With video, you are stuck with continuous light, which also has it's strengths as well.

15 Oct

Posted at 22:34h in Video

Months ago, the Emergency Food Network, a non-profit food organization in Tacoma, tasked me with an on-going photography project. The project ultimately grew into something larger, incorporating video as well. Working with EFN, I visited their location, harvest fields, and surrounding food banks, capturing all...

02 Oct

Posted at 17:59h in Shoots
matty_9.25.10 061 - Version 2 Visited a newly developed park down on the Tacoma waterfront with Alyssa for her senior pictures. After looking through these photos, you might be like "...uh... waterfront? There is not a single photo here with water." I'd probably be thinking the same thing. Yes, this is a park right on the water, however, the pieces of the park that we used to compose Alyssa's photos didn't showcase the water. It was about 5pm and very bright out still. The better shots captured where I was using my light to control exposure on Alyssa. We first shot amongst these stone pillars that are staggered about on this path. I shot these mostly from below Alyssa, giving these a very non-Washington feel, almost like a Arizona type setting with just the pillars in the background.

24 Sep

Posted at 11:46h in Behind the Scenes, Video

IMG_8314

Thought I'd throw a little behind the scenes video together for you guys. This kinda shows what all goes on in a "Matty Photography" shoot. Good friend and video director, Andy Lahmann, will often come to assist on my Bellingham shoots. I'll toss him my Canon 7D and ask him to shoot some BTS pics and video. He always captures some good stuff. We had a lot of laughs, got some great shots, and ended with a happy client. Booyah.

21 Sep

Posted at 11:15h in Shoots
matty_9.11.10_ 529 I'm really happy with how this batch of photos turned out with the Upfront. I've done the marketing photography for the Upfront Theatre for about a year now, a handful of shoots completed within that time. But this set really came together well. I guess that boils down to two critical things, if you ask me. Myself, mainly a location photographer, love to work with interesting environments, colors, textures, etc. The Upfront theater is kind of the exact opposite of what I look for when I'm out and about shooting. That is a plain stage, plain walls, plain background to the stage. Not that that's a bad thing for the Upfront, that puts all the attention on the improv players, which is exactly where it should be, but makes my job a little more challenging in making an overall visually interesting photograph. Like most insightful photographers should, if they are not "feeling" a background/location, they switch it up, but I do not have this option here. So, I had to tackle this from a different approach. Now, not only am I to make these visually engaging in a fairly plain environment, I also have to ensure that I can capture comedy effectively in a photograph. There is something about comedy that is best translated in motion and sound, and photos... well photos, they kinda take a back seat in that art form. However, if done right, photos can be well-timed and capture some great expressions. So, the two things that I think came together on this shoot to take photos in this environment to the next level... 1.) My lighting and photographic approach - I've slowly adjusted my lighting to best capture facial expressions as well as the rest of the body(s). Simple feat maybe if you have a single person or even two standing in single spot. But these are all over the place, covering the distance of the entire stage. A lot of challenges come into play at that point with lighting position, angles, the inverse square law, etc. Played with different lenses, perspectives, angles, etc from the camera end of things. The end result, I found some things that will forever help me in the realm of shooting comedy, simply put. Things that will be my default starting point when shooting this style. Reason 2.) The upfront players came at me with some great material/scenarios to shoot. The combination made for some excellent material for marketing.

17 Sep

Posted at 15:09h in Shoots
matty_9.11.10_ 768 I'm gonna bet that is the first time most of you have heard the name "Kaimi" (Ki-e-me), at least it was a first for me. Hearing it kinda inspires me to name my kid(s) something exotic, that is, if I ever get around to making a couple little Matty's. Boy... what a handful they will be. I shutter, roll my eyes, and smile all at the same time at the thought of a couple miniature me's running around. You'll know their my kids cause they'll be the ones on the kid leashes that are disguised as a monkey hugging the kid, have cool-aid mustache stains, and lacking the ability to hold still. The leashes will never have a second of slack in the line, almost like a sled dog constantly trying to push forward. According to my parents, I was walking/running at 8 months old, and I was quite the handful. I distinctly remember a story they told me about a day that I played so hard and non-stop that when they got me home, I climbed onto the couch, and while on my knees I fell asleep before my head hit the cushion on my way down, like a falling tree. Man, I wish I could have seen that. Wow, sorry... way off topic here. Kaimi, a senior this year in Bellingham. We decided on a local park that provided a variety of styles. Started with this wood walking bridge, had some character. Varied the lighting here between both a very natural and dramatic look.

14 Sep

Posted at 22:51h in Shoots
matty_8.29.10_ 120 A couple weeks ago, I spent some time with Grant, a senior this year, as well as an aspiring model. I have to admit, this is the first modeling/senior picture session I've done. It was setup more for a foundation for Grant's modeling portfolio, and we bent it a little to work for senior photos as well. We spent a little time on white seamless and then moved to some more colorful backgrounds. The interesting thing to note here is that we brought the seamless environment right to the same location. Roll of white paper, hanging stands, large flat surface, and there ya go. Two completely different shooting environments in the exact same location. Kinda funny to think that behind that clean white paper are walls covered in graffiti.

08 Sep

Posted at 13:44h in Events

matty_8.22.10_ 050

CLICK FOR CAMP PHOENIX GALLERY

Camp Phoenix is a summer getaway event for burned children. They come from all over the nation, a few outside the nation, to enjoy a week with fellow burn victims. It's a place where they don't have to feel alone, singled-out, and can embrace in the similarities they have with other children who have gone through the same experience of being burned. They can enjoy the week full of activities and not feel the stresses of normal everyday life where they no doubt have to deal with the difficulty of living in such a superficial society. The camp is put on by the Burned Children Recovery Foundation every summer, led by founder and president Michael Mathis. Mike is also a burn victim, who's efforts have generated the awareness that have made Camp Phoenix and the BCRF possible. The BCRF had some major good news this summer with some awesome contributions donated via the surrounding community. One such donation came in the form of a $130,000 check, thanks to Ryan Stiles and his hard-working crew. If you sift back a few posts, you'll see one on the Ryan Stiles Celebrity Golf Classic. All proceeds from the golfing event, as well as a full weekend of fund-raising events, were donated to the BCRF. I was more than happy to donate a few hours to capture both the fund-raising weekend, as well as this opening day of camp to pay thanks to all of the community who put their time, money, and effort into the BCRF.

02 Sep

Posted at 23:17h in Shoots
matty_8.22.10_ 514 A photographer can be asked to capture a vast array of people, places, and things. Usually, they all fall into the normal realm. You can throw normal out the window when a comedian books you for a couple hours. Enter Stephen, a comedian regularly found generating laughs in the Bellingham area. I actually first saw Stephen perform well over a year ago at the improv Upfront Theatre, and I have to admit, I thought he was the funniest performer in the building that night. I've done a couple shoots for the Upfront now, assembling some fun shots for marketing material, so it seems that the Theatre's performers are becoming quite partial to my work. Don't mind it one bit either, the comedy shoots are always a good time. I end up laughing through the shoots as I'm clicking away.

02 Sep

Posted at 22:20h in Info/News

Before today, any user surfin' my portfolio page on a mobile device incapable of playing flash saw a large blank screen. To be more specific, nothing. My portfolio slideshow is powered by flash, but as of today, I have good news for all those using...

31 Aug

Posted at 21:33h in Just for Fun
  matty_8.29.10_ 197Just for fun post... had to post some pics up of this graffiti wall in Tacoma. Some of the local talent dedicated an entire wall to Alice in Wonderland. This thing is huge, and very well done. It's about 20 feet high, and I don't know how wide. The photo below is a compilation of 4 photos stitched together. Click on it to see a larger version.