MENTORING
Private Mentoring By Matthew Seed | Worldwide
Matthew Seed has honed and refined his fine art horse photography over three decades and now offers one to one mentoring in every aspect of equine photography.
The mentoring is totally unique to each client, and the aim is for Matthew to share his process, both technical and artistic, so that his clients can incorporate these into their own work.
INTRODUCTION
Personalised one-to-one mentoring with Matthew Seed in the art & techniques of fine art equine photography.
I never really planned on teaching being a part of my career. However, over recent years, I have received many requests for mentoring. So, I have only recently started to open the doors on the past 30 years and share what I have learnt.
My personal style of horse photography developed from my background as a high-end fashion and advertising photographer. Within this world, photographic flash lighting was my lifelong ambition to master. It’s what has fascinated me since I was 12. Lighting is the aspect of photography that interests me the most, and, of course, this plays a significant part in my approach and style.
AUTHENTICITY
There is much more to a beautiful work of art than just lighting techniques. Fundamentally, the goal is to understand what it is to be a fine art equine photographer and to learn both the art and the techniques.
At the heart of all of this is the word “authenticity”. For me, being authentic is not just about avoiding retouching software. It is also about being authentic to the many elements that make a fine art photograph. These elements include Light Paths, Dynamics, Composition, Positioning, Depth, Energy, Intent…to name a few. So, being authentic in your vision of what you are trying to create is key to it all. You need to know what you’re aiming for in the field, in that moment. It’s important to move away from a scattergun approach, which relies on the photography being highly edited in post-production.
My mentoring will help you to gain understanding and control of all these elements and, with practice, use them with precision and confidence to create a beautiful, authentic work of art.
FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY
‘An authentic and considered balance of technical and artistic elements in perfect harmony to create an emotional and beautiful visual narrative’.
The term “Fine Art” has, in my opinion, been somewhat hijacked over the years. It seems everyone is a fine art photographer these days. However, the words don’t matter…it’s all about the work.
Fine art is more than a hashtag. While definitions of what exactly fine art photography is vary considerably, in my personal opinion, it is more than just being dramatic or creative for the sake of it, and, for me, it certainly does not rely on retouching.
My definition of fine art horse photography is: “An authentic and considered balance of technical and artistic elements in perfect harmony to create an emotional and beautiful visual narrative.”
If you are someone for whom this definition resonates, then my mentoring may be for you.
UNIQUE STYLE
Teaching an art form isn’t straightforward. I didn’t want to just explain how I do it.
My style of photographing horses has been refined over many years. The entire process I go through to capture images is an integral part of my mentoring. Some of the mentoring may be what you are expecting but I can guarantee some of it will not. It is these elements that make this mentoring completely unique.
Teaching an art form isn’t straightforward. I didn’t want to just explain how I do it. My plan was to dive deeper into every single detail, including the thought processes I go through on a shoot. I may have developed a unique methodology personal to me; however, my aim is to pass all this knowledge on to you, and once you understand the elements, you can blend them to create your own unique style.
My goal is to teach all the elements and techniques so that you reach a point where they become as instinctual to you as they are to me. So when you photograph a horse, they flow through you as an artist, which allows you to be inspired and create beautiful artworks of your own with confidence.
MY APPROACH TO MENTORING
Mentoring will be completely bespoke to you and tailored to your goals.
The one-to-one mentoring starts with a Portfolio Review, and I will ask you to share a selection of your best work with an outline of your experience and your goals. Ahead of your Portfolio Review session, I will review your photographs and prepare notes. During the Portfolio Review Zoom session (90 minutes), I will provide an appraisal of your work and then introduce techniques that you can practice to take your work to the next level and towards your own goals. This session will be recorded and sent to you for your own personal reference.
If you’d like ongoing support and guidance, Mentoring Sessions are available on Zoom (60 minutes). These Mentoring Sessions will dive deeper into each of the elements we will have discussed in your Portfolio Review to help you implement them into your own work. Before each Mentoring Session you will be invited to submit new work for review, together with details of any challenges you may have faced in applying new techniques. I will then prepare notes in advance of our next session to ensure I help you get the most out of the Mentoring Session.
The amount of mentoring required will depend upon your starting point and your goals. The Portfolio Review will be beneficial to anyone interested in fine art horse photography, even beginners. The Mentoring Sessions are aimed at more experienced horse photographers looking to improve their techniques and start or improve the use of flash lighting in their work.
WHAT IT IS NOT
This is not business mentoring, it is exclusively tailored to fine art horse photography.
I am a fine art horse photographer. I do not claim to be a business expert, web wizard or marketeer. What worked for me in developing my business may not work for you. So, my mentoring will not include subjects such as:
• Retouching
• Website Design
• Marketing
• How To Find Clients
• What To Charge
I have spent my entire career being authentic to the art of photography. I started in the days of film & Sinar 5X4 plate film cameras as a fashion & advertising photographer. In those days, I would take a Polaroid shot in the studio to check all the elements were correct before shooting on precious film. There was no option to check the back of the camera throughout the day. Photography was all about learning the techniques and having a disciplined approach to every shot. Fixing it in post-production just wasn’t an option!
I still shoot like this today. Sure, I will use Photoshop to clean up images, but NOT to make a bad shot look good or to create the lighting style you see. My ethos hasn’t changed in 30 years…Get It Right In Camera.
ONE OFF PORTFOLIO REVIEW
A Portfolio Review is an opportunity to have your artworks privately reviewed by Matthew Seed and obtain one-to-one guidance on how to develop your techniques and artistic approach to achieve your personal goals.
With over three decades of experience in fine art horse photography, Matthew has probably faced every challenge there is with photography and lighting techniques, out in the field. If you are looking to take your photography skills to the next level, then this is a great way to start.
Matthew mentors photographers at all levels, including those just starting out. The Portfolio Review will help you to understand where you are in relation to your goals and help Matthew to provide relevant guidance and practical tips on how to develop your skills.
The Portfolio Review involves sharing a selection of your best work for Matthew to review, followed by a One to One 90 minute video call with Matthew, which will be recorded and sent to you for your personal reference.
ONGOING MENTORING SESSIONS
Following your initial Portfolio Review, Mentoring Sessions are available with Matthew to provide ongoing support and guidance. These can be scheduled upon request, as and when you are ready.
Matthew has over three decades of experience in photography and lighting skills, both indoors and out in the field, so he will be a valuable resource to assist you with the practical challenges you will inevitably face when learning new techniques. This will help you to reach your goals more quickly and avoid making costly mistakes.
Mentoring Sessions are offered to all levels of photographer but will mostly benefit those who are actively working or practicing their skills.
The Mentoring Session involves sharing a selection of your recent work with Matthew, along with any challenges you have faced, followed by a One to One 60 minute video call with Matthew, which will be recorded and sent to you for your personal reference.
A UNIQUE GIFT
The ideal gift for the aspiring fine art horse photographer.
As a leading practitioner in fine art horse photography, Matthew Seed has spent over three decades developing and refining his techniques and artistic approach. Any equine photographer wishing to develop their skills and learn from a master of photography will benefit from Matthew’s extensive knowledge and experience.
Matthew offers Mentoring Sessions starting with a Portfolio Review on a one-to-one basis, which enables him to tailor his teaching to each and every client in line with their personal goals.
To enquire about a gift, please complete the contact form below, and we will discuss this with you and arrange for a beautifully presented Gift Voucher to be dispatched to you or your gift recipient.
The Gift Voucher is valid for twelve months and will be for a Portfolio Review session.
TESTIMONIAL
“My portfolio review was incredibly constructive and helpful. I enjoyed our call immensely and I was so grateful to have the opportunity.
Matthew put me at ease straight away and I felt he expertly tailored my session to my current level and personal approach.
I’m so glad the session was recorded as Matthew’s knowledge and guidance were so insightful. It also meant that our conversation flowed more naturally without the need to take detailed notes.
I really appreciated the way Matthew was able to visually demonstrate many of the points he wanted to make. I felt this really accelerated my learning.”
Lisa Allen
CONTACT US
To request more information on a Portfolio Review and/or Mentoring with Matthew Seed, please complete this form, and we will be in touch.