The Essential 5…Matthew Bishop Photography
This week I’m excited to feature someone I’ve recently had the pleasure to work with. I was incredibly lucky that Matthew agreed to take on the somewhat daunting task of making me look cool and professional for my business portraits. (First peak at the shots, looks like he might just have succeeded too!)
I knew Matthew’s work from the Woodland Weddings’ social media and was immediately struck by their romantic, ethereal quality that somehow takes you away from everyday life. As you can see from the exceptional selection of pictures in the blog (can I have more than 4, he says), his work is just incredible! No surprise then, that he’s a hugely popular wedding photographer and has often travelled overseas for clients’ weddings, even at one time to the U.S. As we will discover in the blog however, his heart is very much in Tring and its’ beautiful Great Outdoors.
Here, is the last in the series of the Great Outdoors blogs — this is Matthew’s Essential 5:
How long have you been running your photography business?
This Spring will be the start of my 7th year in business, but I made the leap into photography full-time 4 years ago.
What did you do prior to setting up as a photographer and why did you change career?
My unconventional route into photography came via an 8 year career in medical research and a PhD in neuroscience. However, I have always had an creative side and, after discovering photography over 12 years ago, it started off a chain reaction (science pun intended!) that I couldn’t ignore. So I left science behind to follow my heart and build a business that’s all about celebrating and cherishing life’s most beautiful moments.
What has been your proudest career moment?
In 2014 I received the prestigious title of ‘Wedding Photographer of the Year’ at the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers photographic convention in London, one of Europe’s largest photography gatherings. Photographers from around the world submitted more than 13,000 images to their competition, so it was an amazing achievement to be chosen as a winner. It came at the end of my first full-time year in business, so it was wonderfully reassuring that I had made the right choice!
What do you love about working from Tring?
I think Tring is a fantastic community and everyone seems to support small local businesses. I am proud to be a part of it and do my best to promote others when I can too! When I started my business I made the conscious decision not to have a portrait studio. After all, there is nothing better for creating relaxed, natural portraits than a favourite place or the comfort of your own home — and we have some stunning local landscapes on our doorstep. I think we are also lucky to be surrounded by some amazing wedding venues, Woodland Weddings near Hastoe, being one of my local favourites. I am also a recommended supplier at the beautiful Ashridge House in Berkhamsted.
What do you see in the future for your business?
I’ve always had the idea that I’d like to train other photographers in the portrait and wedding industry, as well as beginners and enthusiasts who’d like to take better pictures. I’m actually in the process of revamping my website, so will launch my training courses at the same time. Watch this space, as they say!
Website:
http://www.mbishopphotography.co.uk/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mbishopphotography/
Thank you Matthew. Truly beautiful.
