The Story

Hi there, and thanks for taking time to check out Matt Philpott Photography!

Photography has been an interest of mine for about as long as I can remember. I'd like to think that I picked it up from my dad, as I can always remember the times he would pull out his old Pentax SLR camera-- whenever he did that, you knew something special was happening.

I got my first camera around eight or nine; it was a gift from my grandparents. The excitement I felt with that little point and shoot was great. Like any kid with a new toy, I used that camera for everything. Looking back, I'm surprised I didn't put my family out of house and home with the money they probably spent on film and developing costs, because I took a lot of pictures back then, and frequently they were of nothing in particular. Case in point:

One summer while on vacation at Lake Michigan there was a big freighter that passed by. I had to photograph it, had to. Was I happy with just a shot or two? Nope. I blazed through an entire roll of film. Yup, 36 photos. Of a boat. In the water. All. The. Same.

Most people know the saying about blind squirrels and acorns, and the same was true for me; I did actually manage to capture the occasional interesting shot back in those days.

Not bad for a nine year old using his no-name point and shoot, eh? Years later that is still blown up, framed, and hanging up on a wall.

Years went on and still my trusty camera went along with me. In high school I finally ditched the film and went digital. That's when I really started to get a true interest in learning about photography. I wanted to learn how to take exciting photos, and frequently.

I started to mess around with my dad's Nikon DSLR and right away I was hooked. The ability to capture movement, the quality of photos, it was all captivating. I started saving and eventually purchased my own, much to my dad's relief (he could finally use his camera for himself once more!). As I started my college at Cornerstone I looked for opportunities to learn how to get the most from my new camera. Hello photography classes and hello school newspaper.

Shooting for the school paper was a wonderful experience on multiple levels. Not only did I get to polish my skills behind the camera, but I also got to meet some interesting people. The time on staff has given me what is still one of my favorite portraits I've taken:

Meeting new people and taking cool pictures aside, the time I knew I really was a true photojournalist was when my editor gave me the task of getting a photo of the new speedbumps installed around campus. Oh yeah, fast-track to the bigtime with the speedbumps!

That actually made front page under the fold, much to my surprise. Either shows a good photographer took it, or it was a slow week in news, you decide which is the case. Graduation came in 2007, and the time spent shooting for the school paper was one of the things I really was able to cherish.

Perhaps my favorite thing to do for fun is to go take photos at sporting events, especially baseball games. It was one such photo that gave me one of my biggest thrills. I was asked if I would be willing to submit a photo I snapped at a West Michigan Whitecaps baseball game to be used in a full page color advertisement that was going to run all season long in the programs handed out at Whitecaps games.

I swear, I probably grabbed two dozen copies of the programs when I went to Opening Day that season.

In the spring of 2009 I was asked to supply photos for the front cover design for the 2009 US Adult Figure Skating Championships, a United States Figure Skating Association sanctioned event that took place in my own back yard of Grand Rapids.

Another time of being put into mass printing, and another set of arms filled with magazines.

Spring and fall 2010 proved to be football, football and more football, as I served as Official Game Photographer for the West Michigan ThunderHawks professional indoor football team, and covered the regular season and playoffs for the Muskegon High School Big Reds. Opportunities with sports photography continued to expand, when in January 2011 I joined forces with West Michigan All Star. West Michigan All Star is an up-and-coming website devoted to covering prep sports around the West Michigan Region. Throughout all seasons, we trek across the area, providing in-depth coverage and photographs of various high school sports, from schools both big and small.

That is a little bit about me. Please take time to enjoy the images you see on the site. I am happy to be of service to you!