Meet Matthew Watson: Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matthew Watson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
That’s a good question. Wether to keep going or to give up is something I have asked myself at times. People often say that we are our own worst critics. And it’s true. I’ve done photoshoots in the past, and on the drive home, I’m thinking I suck – I was terrible – I should give them their money back. Then, when I’m home and reviewing the images, I’m thinking, I did pretty good. I can’t wait until my client sees these.

I say that to say, when it comes to considering to keep going or give up, you have to be mindful that you’re not being too hard on yourself. You can’t expect to get things perfect right out the gate.

For me, when I thought to give up is when I thought I wasn’t good enough. But, I couldn’t accept that. My passion for photography was/ is too great. My free time I end up studying, watching tutorials, practicing… the desire to get better at my craft – rather than just “do” my craft – is what drives me. Making sure my clients are happy and loving their images is what drives me. I think as long as you have that drive, where you’re not just going through the motions, you keep going.

Life is funny. I remember how my love and appreciation for photography grew the first time I saw a client had hung my photos up on their walls. That pushed me and motivated me knowing that I delivered on some photos that they will cherish for years on end. Well, recently, I just found out a picture I took is now on a billboard! You plant the seed, and life has a way of showing you your fruits. And that’s all the reason I need to keep going.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m pretty sure I made the mistake that most photographers make, where I didn’t focus on one specific genre. I pretty much took every job that came my way. I shot portraits, headshots, products, maternity, weddings, events, behind the scenes film sets, babies – I shot everything.

Recently, I have been narrowing my focus. My favorite thing to shoot have been family portraits and single portraits. Often those single portraits are birthday shoots. And I get these woman, that are not used to being in front of the camera, and I’m giving them poses, and giving them encouragement, next thing you know we are laughing and having a good time. And when it’s all said and done, they have some great images. I think I prefer that, rather to work with actual models.

There’s so many talented photographers out there. So many great storytellers. What I want to set me apart, is the experience – how easy and comfortable I am to work with.

As a kid, my Dad would do my hair cuts well into middle school years. He was terrible, but I digress. I started going to a barber and that was new to me. Someone told me that I should be tipping the barber. So the next time I went back, I offered a tip. He told me to keep it. He said, “my tip, is you coming back.” That’s what I’m most proud of. My clients keep coming back.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We are taking a trip up the Pacific Coast Highway. We have to hit the beach and my favorite is Paradise Cove, in Malibu. Definitely grabbing a bite to eat at that restaurant there too. Universal Studios and CityWalk are fun places to hang out. Everyone has to see the walk of fame. But rather than go during the day we would go down to Hollywood area and check out this VR spot down there. Then we each hop on those Electric Scooters and ride those up and down the boulevard at night.
I’m pretty low-key. The most fun is getting together with groups of friends and doing game nights, grabbing some food and drinks, and just vibing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Oh man, I have to give credit simply to my family and friends. For instance, my brother, M. Wesley Watson, who sold me my first DSLR. And he is such a good filmmaker I knew not to step into that lane, so I decided to tackle photography. And my wife who put up with me when I told her I wanted to start doing our own family photos instead of going to those mall studios. I also had a few friends that trusted me enough to do their maternity photos when I had little to know experience.

There’s been photographers like Dion Sloan and Jamaal Murray. These are guys I look up to who have offered words of encouragement here and there.

There also was a client I shot early on. I charged her like $50 for a shoot. It was very early on. But she paid me the fifty and then gave another fifty on top of that. She said, Matthew, you’re awesome! You need to be doing this as a career.
Thank you, Ama. I’m getting there.

Website: goodluckroadfilms.com

Instagram: @goodluckroad

Image Credits
All photos by me, Matthew Watson