Matthew McClelland
- nickspa112203
- Fredericksburg, VA, USA
- Shooter
- 4pts
- Adventure
- Couples
- Events
- Families
- Headshots
- Nature
- People
- Travel
- Weddings
- Wildlife
Creative Statement
So the two most common questions I get are “how long have you been taking pictures?”, and “how did you get in to taking pictures?”. So here is the short form of that story.
I’ve always been fascinated with art. As a kid I loved to draw and color, and always had that kind of crazy artists mind. At the age of 12 I bought my first guitar and pursued my first love of music. As the years went by I started editing videos from photos and stock video online to make little music videos to go along with some of my music. My instrument list grew and so did my love of music and orchestration, but always came back to moving images.
In August of 2016 I was working as a contractor and through a barter deal obtained a DSLR camera from an old friend. I was always jealous of people who could take good pictures but never imagined I could be one of them. Over New Years that year I went to Boston with some friends and took my camera and walked all over the city taking pictures. I realized my pictures were pretty good and got a lot of solid feedback from people. But more important than that, I really enjoyed the experience of being outside, walking around, and discovering new places. After I got home I started spending all of my free time in the woods, walking around with my camera. I photographed EVERYTHING!! I learned how to operate a camera, the differences in lighting, but more than anything, I learned who Matt was, and that he actually was a pretty decent guy.
As time has gone on my photography led me in to mountain climbing, and has since taken me all over the country. I have the wonderful opportunities to travel around, climb mountains, and take pictures. I’m always in search of the perfect shot, and as soon as I think I have taken it, I find another one. I work full time as a real estate photographer and videographer, but my passion still lies in the natural world around me. I enjoy photographing people in their natural elements and love to find the beauty in every part of the world around us. It is there, I just have to look for it.
The best advice I have to give to anyone who says “I just don’t have that talent” is that I once said that myself, in fact, I said it a lot more than once. I never believed I could, until I did. Always chase your dreams, and never settle for less. If you never try, the answer is always “no”.
