Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Matthew Rigby. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Matthew, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
“Purpose” is something that I have thought about a lot, especially now when I find myself in a transition period of my life. Throughout my childhood it was an intangible life goal that I thought was pretty obvious–I would go to college, become a doctor, have kids, and basically repeat the adulthood of my parents.
I did go to college and studied the sciences, but that’s where that childhood vision of purpose ended.
After college, I volunteered for two years as a teacher in a small town in Honduras. There I taught at an all girls school for students who came from the nearby villages, who wouldn’t have been able to study past the 4th grade if they hadn’t come to this boarding school. I also worked in a health clinic and an organic farm, both of which were run by the nuns who ran the school.
That experience was life and world-altering in so many ways, and it’s where I initially thought I found my purpose. I returned to the States and became a teacher, a career that I have now pursued for 12 years. At first, it was all about finding that same feeling of immersion and purpose that I had in Honduras, when I felt that I was living Gandhi’s quote “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” But that feeling never re-appeared the same way, leaving myself to question, again, what my purpose was.
At some point I began to find ways to define myself and my purpose in ways other than by what I do professionally. It has taken a long time, but I have begun to strip away all of the definitions and quotidian aspects of my jobs to start to find the purpose woven amongst all of my experiences. I began finding creative outlets for my knowledge, skills, and passions. For example, I began brewing beer that creates a gestalt greater than individual ingredients. Throughout my life, I have always immersed myself in the outdoors and created photographs while exploring. Landscapes were my first photography passion, but then I started working with a friend who introduced me to wedding photography.
Eventually the process of creating photos became a part of me, and now when I pick up my camera and compose a photograph, I am so fully immersed in the moment that everything around me ceases to exist, while I am at the same time a part of and intently aware of my surroundings.
When I work with couples at weddings, I find myself giving completely of myself, as I did in Honduras. A wedding day is about them and the memories that they will have for decades, now that they are documented through my photos. I listen to them and empathize with their excitement, hopes, nerves, joys, and love. I facilitate their days with the same efficiency, patience, and organization that made me an effective teacher. My scientific background prepares me to observe small details, while incorporating a strong technical skillset in challenging situations. I love documenting wedding days and creating with my camera because it allows me to be of service to couples in their best days, and it brings me closer to finding purpose.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am an adventurous wedding photographer in the Hudson Valley region of New York. I discovered my passion for photography through landscape photography and often travel to discover beautiful and unique locations off the beaten path. I sincerely appreciate the beauty and serenity of the natural world, which greatly influences my photography. Just ask my wife how often we have to stop on hikes for “random” photos of subjects that would typically be overlooked!
Today I apply my love of photography to documenting beautiful memories for couples. I love to highlight the natural connection between a couple and am especially attuned to the quiet moments of love between a couple and their families. I seek to preserve these special moments so that they may be enjoyed forever. I see this part of my business as something that is intangible and incredibly meaningful.
I also have a background as a STEM educator. Observation, analysis, and patience are skills I have honed in my “other” career that I find myself leaning on heavily during weddings. I am happiest when both sides of my brain are working together—creative and technical. Photography gives me plenty of opportunities to do that! Mindful observation of the world around me leads me to see, appreciate, and photograph moments within the moments, which can be so important to the documentation of a wedding day story.
When I work with a couple my process is built around empathy and listening and I really take the time to get to know them as people. Knowing them on a more personal level and understanding what brought them to this day allows me to more fully document their wedding day story and create an album that feels more like them. We are also able to develop a level of comfort together that ultimately enables me to move seamlessly amongst their friends and family to document natural interactions. Throughout a wedding day I document couples’ stories through these unscripted moments and emotions, while also highlighting the landscape and natural beauty of the setting around them.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Photography is about all the senses…listening and observing are different from hearing and seeing. Before raising the camera to your eye, being empathetic, listening, and taking a moment to truly observe are invaluable skills. Sometimes it’s hard to pause and not get caught up in the whirlwind of a full wedding day, but it’s important to remind yourself to do just that.
Know your tools inside and out! Bring your camera everywhere and use it as much as possible. It should feel like an extension of you so that when that special, fleeting moment happens, you are ready to react and document it without thinking.
Relationships are everything in this business. There is so much content and instant communication, so many photos we scroll past and never really see enough to remember. But the relationships you create with the people you serve are lasting, the photos you create for them are priceless. I’ll always remember, just a couple months after the first solo wedding I photographed, the bride’s father passed away. That super unfortunate event really hit me and I was struck by the impact and importance of a couple’s wedding photos. In addition to relationships with your couples, the relationships with other vendors and venues are incredibly important. On a wedding day you are all there for the same reason–the couple and their experience.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My wife Adriana has been my biggest support system since I started my own business. From a technical and business perspective, she is a great support because she has a Masters in Digital Design and Marketing, which are two things that I struggle with. She has been a tremendous help with business decisions, and never tires of talking about the current issues and problems that I might be considering. I see these issues as a puzzle to be solved, which excites me, especially when it is my name on the business. She has spent countless hours being my sounding board for my thoughts and questions, and together we have built something of which we are proud.
On a more personal note, one of my greatest strengths and core business values is empathy. The flip side of that coin, however, is that I can be sensitive and plagued by self doubt. Adriana is my biggest cheerleader and supporter, and often helps me to see the value of my creative work in a way that I never really would, if it were just myself.
Our story is inextricably linked with weddings because, in a weird twist of fate, after matching online and talking for a week, we happened to attend the same wedding. She was her best friend’s maid of honor and I was one of the photographers. Our entire relationship has been based on fate, serendipity, and wedding photography!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.matthewrigbyphotography.com
- Instagram: @rigbyweddingphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthewrigbyphotography
Image Credits
The photo of myself was taken by Melanie Brown of Melanie Ruth Photography.
I took all of the portfolio images.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
