Hi everyone!
The big announcement is finally here! First off I shot an awesome wedding last weekend and hopefully I’ll have something up soon to show for it. :) It was my last wedding for the season, and unfortunately my last wedding I’ll shoot for myself for years to come. I can’t tell you how sad I am to announce that I will not be shooting weddings now or in the near future. I can’t physically continue to be able to work as hard as I used to and in the best ability that I can any longer. I was born with a terminal genetic lung disease called Cystic Fibrosis which has slowly caused my lung damage to become worse, and until this year has been extremely hard for me to continue shooting for such long periods of time.
For the last 8 months or so I’ve slaved through 7 hours of weddings knowing that around the 5 hour mark I’ll be in so much pain that I have trouble breathing and I have to take 4 alieve just to make it through rest. I’m nearly to the point of taking full on pain medication to even continue doing it, which I’m not willing to do. I choose not to lose concentration or make my clients suffer for poor quality work because I’m on pain medications that will alter my ability to concentrate and stay focused, when wedding photography requires a lot of both. It wasn’t always that way, in 2009 I was shooting full time without any issues, and in 2010 took mostly just weddings as the business expanded. I haven’t shot any portraits but some bridals and engagements since then, and instead I’ve took wedding after wedding, which I guess has taken a toll on my physical being as well as mentally. Carrying 40 lbs of equipment, standing up the entire time with little to no breaks coupled with the CF, arthritis, osteoporosis, and RSD (circulatory problem) it’s to the point where I’ve had all I can take physically.
A couple years ago I started using the design information I had acquired in college and started creating blogs for photographers on the side. I can work at home, deal with less stress, and spend more time with my family. This is what God is calling me to at the moment. I can’t say I won’t stop shooting. I’ll always shoot, but I’m not sure where I’ll be taking the photography business any longer. Right now the only thing I have planned is shooting for other photographers and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to continue doing that for too much longer. I’m not sure if I’ll still be taking portraits or not either. I’ve gone back and forth on it for months and still don’t have an answer right now. If I choose to try and stick with at least just portraits, then the site and everything else will change early next year to accommodate those changes.
I would love to give a very special thank you to my family and two of my friends who I continuously work with and love. They have given me support, friendship, and helped me in great times of need. Thank you to Jill and Kory Leo of Six West Studios, and Chris Reich of Chris Reich Photography. I wouldn’t have been able to make it through these last few hard months without you. If you’re looking for a wedding photographer take a look at their sites and contact them!
Any current work will be finished and delivered to all current clients. For past clients just contact me if you would like to order prints or images. I’ll be adding galleries back into the proofing system free of charge (by request) if you would like to order. A cd of images will be available for a lower cost to give everyone the chance to collect their images in digital format as well.
What an adventure this has been, through all the pain I’ve been dealing with this year I’ve still had so many great clients these last six years, some of my favorite weddings were shot this year. :) I cannot thank my clients past and present clients and friends enough for giving me your business and for giving me the opportunity to document the changes and most important days of your lives. I’ve had such an adventure, I self taught my way through photography with the help of some good friends, and learned so much of the ins and outs of running a real business, the good and the bad experiences coupled with the knowledge I’ve gained from years of taking pictures and the wonderful clients and people I’ve met a long the way has made every bit of the journey a great one. Thank you so very much.
For now this adventure book is coming to a close, but a new one is opening around the corner. I hope I’ll come back and make you all a part of it again one day.
Matt-
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