We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Matti Gresham. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Matti below.

Matti, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I am a fully self taught photographer. Watching other photographers on set, watching YouTube tutorials on photoshop and lighting, and asking questions of those who have gone before me are all sources I’ve used to learn.

If I could go back I think I would have done a class or workshop on lighting. I think that would’ve elevated my skills and photos more and would’ve gotten published more as a result. I ended up having to have off a total of 3 years at different increments of time of maternity because of some health issues within my family which cause a set back for me career wise but it was a set back I was willing to take at the benefit of my family being more whole and healthy. I’m getting back into the swing of things this year full speed and am excited to see what projects I get to shoot!

I think the most essential skill that has helped me in my career has been an ability to be resourceful. To learn and be able to provide what my clients or boss was needing, whether I actually had the knowledge of how to do it yet or not. I trusted that if I had the knowledge I could execute.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have taught myself everything I know about photography. My dad advised me not to major in photography in college because he as worried it wouldn’t pan out for me as a career (who’s laughing now dad), so I majored in International Relations with hopes that I could use that degree to do photo-journalism overseas. I really enjoyed my studies in school, but kept shooting images of bands, people, the mountain ranges in Washington where I went to school. I started getting hired to shoot portraits and landed an internship with some amazing lifestyle advertising photographers based on my personal work I had put on a website. Then, through a friend who was working as a graphic designer at a beauty company, I got the opportunity to interview for a retouching position with a salary. Although I had never retouched an image in my life, I looked up every YouTube tutorial I could find and taught myself photoshop in about a week before the trial interview. I ended up completing the images they requested and got hired! There I got to observe the product photographer on staff there and started watching videos on product photography and lighting and eventually pitched myself to the creative director as an assistant photographer although I really had no experience yet in product photography. She gave me a shot and I ended up getting hired as their product photographer all the while still teaching myself what I needed to know in order to do by job. Those years grew me and I ended up moving to Dallas and working for Loloi Rugs as a product photographer and eventually got to work on site as a photographer on set when they would shoot campaigns and ads for magazines. Being in that environment taught me a lot about interior photography and I knew this was the type of photography I wanted to do. I have a deep love for interior design and I loved everything about working on set with a team to create a beautiful image. After a year of working there I went freelance and shot for basically anyone who would let me for free to build up my portfolio. I am still in the process of learning so much about lighting, gear, etc but I am definitely at a point in my career where I feel like I’m starting to master my craft.

I am an interior photographer who mainly shoots for interior designers, magazines, and publications. I help bring to life the vision of my clients beautiful work by enhancing it with direction and lighting to make it look it’s best. I can help interior designers get published as well as business owners get their products out into the world in a beautiful way. I think something that sets me apart as a photographer is that I don’t have an ego attached to my photography. I have met and worked with some photographers who act as if they run the show, but that’s now how I view my job. I’m working for my client and I like to collaborate with whomever as hired me to ensure their vision is brought to life exactly how they dreamed it up, or hopefully even better! I’m an easy going and fun loving people person who enjoys the relationship side of my work so much. I’m proud to have had some of the same clients for almost 10 years now! I pride myself on creating beautiful imagery but also having fun doing it at the same time.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I would love to eventually be represented by an agency and shoot for mostly magazines. I love the flow of working with an entire team on set. Right now, it’s usually just me and one or two designers on set and it’s wonderful, but the energy of an entire creative team working together on a project is unmatched. My goal and dream would be to grow my work to a place to be able to be in that environment more often!

Have you ever had to pivot?

There were three separate times I had to step back from work entirely. Twice for maternity leave with both of my children when they were born (I took a year off for each child) and once for the health of my husband. Although it did cost me a few clients who needed to keep photographing their projects, I don’t regret stepping away to take that time for my family. If anything, because of the time I took away, I’m able to more fully be present in my work now, knowing that we have a steady foundation and base where everyone feels secure. It definitely wasn’t easy to see other photographers seemingly pass me by, but I knew it was the right decision for me life-wise and I have to trust that whatever is meant for me will come to me career-wise as I put in the effort and work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mattigresham.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mattigreshamphoto

Image Credits
Matti Gresham Photography