Owned and operated by Matt Mendelsohn, Matt Mendelsohn Photography has unprecedented experience. During his four years at United Press International (UPI), Matt covered hundreds of professional sporting events, spent two months in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War, and was a part of the first-ever Department of Defense media pool during the invasion of Panama. He also worked for USA Today and learned the finer art of photographing celebrities and spent years covering the White House and Capitol Hill.
Matt Mendelsohn is actively shooting weddings (Virginia based).
What is your primary camera body?
For weddings, I use two Canon Mark IIn's and a 5D. I'd use the 5D for everything, frankly, because the sensor blows the other cameras out of the water. But it's too slow and lightweight for me to use as a primary camera. But for the price it's hard to resist. On the portrait front, I shoot a lot digitally but my heart is still in my Hasselblad 501CM. People keep saying that it's an obsolete format because of digital file size but they miss the point: a Hasselblad square forces me to think and compose completely differently than any SLR, digital or film. And lastly. I still do a lot of 4 x 5 Polaroid Type 55 shoots, and occasionally I'll muster the courage to use my 8 x 10 Deardorff that I bought on eBay.
Two lenses you use the most:
My favorite wedding lens has always been the 85 f1.8. But I just got the f1.2 today and so that answer might change in a few weeks. Either way, it's a nice focal length to shoot brides and grooms during toasts and first dances. And though it might be a boring choice, I use my 35 f. 14 a lot. I've never been a zoom guy and I always like fast prime lenses.
Do you shoot RAW?
Of course. I couldn't ever imagine taking the chance on anything but RAW during a wedding. I don't like to screw up but it's happened once or twice in my life. :)
How would you describe your photography style?
My style comes from my background in news: I tend to shoot very clean. And because I shoot so much available light I tend to shoot wide open all the time. I've pretty much spent the last ten years at 125th at 2.8. Conversely, I can't remember the last time I saw f8. I would also have to say that I've tried really hard to resist schmaltzy wedding pictures.
Do you normally employ assistants or 2nd shooters?
I shot the first 400 weddings by myself, no assistant. But I shot Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Aniston and countless celebrities for USA Today with no assistant as well. Again, it came from my days as a wire service photographer. It never dawned on me that someone could help with all this stuff. Lately I've been using an assistant to help with my weddings. And he's made some great images!
What do you remember about your first (or one of your first) wedding?
Aside from charging $600, I don't remember much. I do remember a wedding coordinator telling me early on to direct any questions for the bride and groom to her, and not the, um, bride and groom. And I remember thinking, "I don't work for you. Don't tell me not to talk to my clients." That's when I realized how crazy this whole industry can be.
What advice would you give to someone just beginning their career as a wedding photographer?
On the creative end, I'd offer that editing is almost a greater challenge than shooting. I see a lot of web sites with pictures that could have been the decisive moment, but were a second too late. Editing great pictures is more difficult, not less, in a digital age. Your monitor is crammed with images that look similar and you have 2,000 from one wedding to sift through. Resist the Eenie Meenie Miny Moe school of editing. And on a business front, form an S Corp and hire a payroll service. Living a 1099 existence can lead to sloppy business habits.
