Swaggart Photography

Kowalik Wedding : St. Louis Wedding Photographer

Matt — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:57:30 +0000

Sorry for the LOOOOOOOONNGGGGG delay in posting but I’ve been working on some major projects that keep me too occupied to do anything else! Hopefully I’ll be able to get some more updates for you soon.

Wish is Waste.

Joplin, MO

Matt — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:49:32 +0000

I went up to Joplin shortly after the F5 ravaged the city to help with clean up but as well, document what happened there. Here are a few shots from the day. Having everything, all the tangible memories that have made up your life, taken from you must be quite the heartache. Please keep the people of Joplin in your prayers.

Engagement Session with Steve & Addison : Tulsa Engagement Photographer

Matt — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:49:29 +0000

I shot an engagement session the other day in St. Louis, great city to shoot in! As it turned out, I only had a few minutes and it was a super windy day so I decided to take advantage of the wind in the shots. Nothing is a bad thing unless you let it be. I also broke out my home made toy lens too.

Stutzmen Wedding : Tulsa Wedding Photographer

Matt — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:15:08 +0000

Sorry It’s been sooooo long since my last post! I guess I’ve had too many irons in the fire as of late. Life is good but BUSY! Anyway, here’s an outdoor wedding I shot in April. There are more photos from this album on my Facebook so go there to see the rest.

A photo narrative of my roadtrip thus far

Matt — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 21:55:41 +0000

I picked up a 60′s era TV lens from a flea market for $6 and I mounted it to my Sony Nex. It’s a 25mm f/2 which is a nice perspective on the crop sensor, it adds a vignette and has some serious distortion issues but I still really like the look of the lens. I decided before I left to visit family over Easter that I would shoot the entire trip with this combo, let me know what ya think!

Chit Chat_4

Matt — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 18:14:45 +0000

I was invited to be speak about my work at Chit Chat_4, this is of course their 4th year putting on the show. It was 9 of us artists, sculptors, painters, architects, photographers, videographers…it pretty much ran the gamut in the art community. It always seems daunting to talk about your own work, especially in front of a crowd full of artists. It was fun but I definitely need to brush up on my public speaking skills! Below is a shot of each artist talking about their work, I shot these with a 60′s era TV lens I bought for $6 so they aren’t the sharpest shots I’ve ever taken:

Tom Pershall

Sorry Cheryl! Somehow I forgot to snap a pic, but she is a wonderful photographer.

Mat Miller

Morgan Robinson

John Duvall

Lensbaby.com is using my work!

Matt — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:13:27 +0000

Last week I received an email from a marketing manager at Lensbaby who randomly found my site and loved my work! They asked if they could use some of the shots I’ve made with their products in return for some more gear from them. You can view my work on their site here under “weddings” and “portraits.”

Fight Night ~ Tulsa Portrait Photographer ~

Matt — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 16:32:28 +0000

This is one of the shoots that reminds me how much I love what I do. The raw competitive spirit and emotion at these amateur boxing fights is so much fun to capture. I wanted to focus on perhaps angles you might not normally see. Typical ring or cage shots are captured from below, the seating area. In this situation I have a lot more freedom so I’m typically on the ring itself, which can be quite dangerous. I also shot with my 85mm in order to crop in on the faces of each fighter. The editing process is all about pulling out that grit that you feel when watching fights. I strip the colors and add in a tiny bit of grain to give it that dark, gritty feel.

Tjeerdsma Wedding ~ Location Wedding Photographer ~

Matt — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:44:16 +0000

It’s been quite a few days since my last post, I’ve been working on some great projects that I can’t wait to share wit y’all! I traveled down to Newark, Texas to shoot the Tjerdsma wedding. I love traveling for to shoot weddings, it’s a great way to work while feeling on vacation! The highlight of the day for me definitely was the classic pink Cadillac.

He’s learning even when I’m not teaching.

Matt — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 05:12:41 +0000

Everyday, as my son gets older, I see him mimicking the way I do things. The way I eat, walk, laugh, relax it all is like a miniature me. It’s not something I’m teaching as much as it’s something he’s watching. When that hit me it was almost paralyzing…I have to be extraordinary at everything I do because my son is watching my every step.

My son is watching me.

It’s daunting to think about. One day my son will experience victories and defeats with many of them directly related to my actions now. What I’m doing now, he’s watching, learning and becoming. Ryder-Presley is not even three and he already has many of my traits. I better be more than an overcomer for his sake.

I have to be extraordinary at everything I do because my son is watching my every step.

PS: we both love cheese, it’s our favorite food.