New Face – Jake

New Face – Lizzie

Lizzie entered the studio with a very laid back demeanor. She is a girl that has that sense of air and lightness about her, with the long flowing locks and pale skin. One can imagine her dancing through a field of wild flowers, or perhaps a child of flower power were she born in another decade.

For this photo shoot, I thought I would play with that idea of her airiness, shooting both looks that compliment and go starkly against that grain. As a model it is an important part of the job description to be able to embody any role, and I think Lizzie did just that. So from simple and elegant, to a child of peace and love, to the dramatic and bold, I think her images turned out simply stunning. Enjoy! -JM

New Face – Emma

New, fresh, excited, and ready to rock the camera,  Emma came into the studio with an amazing energy and excitement. She was ready to dive in, head first, and show what she could do.  A young beauty indeed, she was poised in front of the camera with intense eyes staring deep into the lens.  Tall and thin, with legs that stretch a mile and back and perfect pin straight hair, Emma has the perfect look for a fresh model ready to take on the world.

I have to admit, with each new face I shoot for the Matthew Agency, the more I am convinced that I truly DO have the best talent in West Michigan.  Such unbelievable guys and gals here, with such raw potential and energy.  I have said it before, but I will say it again, I can’t wait to see what Emma, and the rest of these amazing faces at the Agency can do! Enjoy! – JM

New Face – Nathan

A confident attitude, a killer smile, stunning good looks.  Nathan has all of these, and all at the age of 16.  He is only just beginning to explore his potential as a model (of which there is an abundance).  This was his first time in front of a camera, and he took to it very naturally.

With Nathan joking and laughing with me the entire time, the photo shoot went very smoothly.  The goal; capture amazing images of this new talent and have fun doing it!  We tried a new location in my building; the freight elevator.  Turns out, it is a great location to shoot!

I look forward to seeing where this new model’s confidence takes him.  We’re excited to have him with the Matthew Agency, and excited to share this new face with you!  Enjoy!  -JM

New Face – Benson

I first met Benson when he was recruited by a tuxedo company to walk in a bridal show.  My first thought was “this kid definitely does not look old enough to get married.”  My second thought, however, was “this kid really should be modeling for the Matthew Agency.“  I handed him my card, and the rest is history.

With young, bold features and soft innocent eyes, his inexperience worked in his favor.  He had no preconceptions about modeling to dirty his fresh subtle presence.  He tackled everything we threw at him head on…from simplicity to dramatic to a phenomenal kelly-green military-inspired jacket made by the hands of our fabulous Dan Parker.  I can say, I definitely look forward to working with Benson again.  Enjoy! – JM

New Face – Sarah

Looking at my calender is like looking at a map of a foreign city.  I can stare at it for hours, and it is still a crowded cacophony of colors and words.  After moving into my new space with the Matthew Agency, things have been in constant motion.  Now that I have an amazing office and studio, it’s been almost non-stop photo shoots!  Not that I’m complaining.

Recently new Matthew Agency Model, Sarah Chledowski came into the studio for a portfolio shoot.  Another new, fresh face, excited and eager to learn!  Sarah isn’t the tallest, but she doesn’t let that stand in the way of her very natural beauty.  From the simply chic to the dramatic and bold, Sarah slipped easily from look to look.  With hair and make-up by Hanna Wagner and styling by Andrea Caitlyn, (our resident Matthew Agency intern) this shoot was a phenomenal success.  A knock-out performance on her first time out!  Enjoy!  -JM

New Face – Kayla

At the age of 14, new model Kayla already exudes a timeless beauty and quiet elegance in front of the camera.  She openly admitted that she was nervous going into this, her first photo shoot ever.  From these images, anyone can see she truly has nothing to be nervous about!

As a photographer, I was elated to have such a natural beauty to work with.  As the owner and director of the Matthew Agency, I am thrilled to have new talent like Kayla coming onto our team!  I’m so proud to say that the talent coming into the agency is truly phenomenal!  It actually gives me goosebumps.

A special thanks to Dan Parker for styling and the talented Julie Strating for hair and gorgeous makeup!  All parties involved… we knocked this one out of the park!  Enjoy! -JM

Levi – Portfolio

I can honestly say I have yet to come across a model as adventurous as Levi Martin (no relation to Patrick from my previous post).  He was open to my creative direction in every way, even when it involved baring some skin in the middle of a field.  I can only assume Levi’s confidence in his own body must come from the work he obviously puts into it.  As a photographer, it’s a refreshing joy to work with a model who is open minded and daring enough to jump in and try anything.

From a field to a factory, we really had fun with this photo shoot.  Our day involved climbing over barbed wire, wading through mud, and even nearly getting run off some property by a machete wielding country man!  Let’s just say that it was a good thing we already had permission to be there.

I have to say that Levi’s complete belief and trust in my vision and creative direction truly yielded some remarkable images.  I hope you agree.  Enjoy! – JM

This post contains images some viewers may find inappropriate.

New Face – Patrick

Model Patrick Martin has a naturally stunning and unique look.  Although he is young and completely new to modeling, he seemed very comfortable in front of the lens.  His fiercely sharp physical features are contrasted by a very calm, shy vulnerability that adds a compelling  depth to his images.  The combination of all these attributes gives Patrick a versatility that will definitely serve him well in what has potential to be an amazing modeling career.

During our photo shoot, and as we were racing the sun to the finish for the day, we lucked into some perfect light.  With the warmth of an evening sun, a variety of my favorite locations in Downtown Grand Rapids, and some phenomenal wardrobe styling by my assistant Dan Parker, the images truly do wow.  This shoot actually featured some of Dan’s very own creative and fashionable designs.  Combining DPark Fashions, some vintage clothing, and a suit provided by AK Rikks, we were able to really push the variety of our looks on Patrick.  Thankfully, Patrick was adventurous and versatile enough to pull it off effortlessly.

Enjoy! – JM

JC – Portfolio Shoot

Today I met with aspiring model JC Cunningham.  JC is transplanting to San Fransisco within a matter of days and wanted to get a solid portfolio together before the big move.  As JC is just getting started, he needed to build his portfolio from scratch.  Today’s goal was to provide as large a variety of images as a single day’s shoot would allow.

We met at 9am at the Grand Rapids Museum of Art.  Since their remodel, the GRAM has been a popular location for photographers to shoot.  Nearly every time I’ve found myself in the area, I have seen one photographer or another snapping away.  The GRAM provides a very structural, contemporary, and clean location, a perfect backdrop for everything from fashion images to wedding pictures.

JC and I spent the rest of the day running around to some great locations in downtown Grand Rapids, as well as heading out to the beach in Saugatuck.  Over all I think we created a great assortment of looks for a full and varied portfolio.  Take a look!  – JM