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Mat Price
@matprice
Landscape photographer based in Wales
I left school at 16 and went straight into a carpentry apprenticeship. This meant that I worked alongside studying, and once I graduated the company I was with offered me a full time job. I accepted, but just over a year later I made the decision to start up on my own and go self-employed. Obtaining more independence and freedom were the main reasons that drove this decision. Taking the first step wasn’t that hard, but the first few years definitely were. There was so much to get into place before I could actually start working. At the age of 19, it was a lot to take onboard. What’s more, I started building my own house when I was 22, which added to the many things I was juggling.
"New skills were learnt along the way, and I learnt a lot about myself as a person."
Not long after I started building the house, I lost one of my best friends in a car accident. I was 23 at the time, and it was a really defining moment for me. It was probably the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with. It took a few years to sink in, and I spent a long time trying to figure out why things like that happen. I packed up work in 2010 and flew to Australia for a year and on to NZ after that. I had been feeling pretty stuck in a rut at the time, and I needed to get out of my comfort zone. Traveling on my own gave me a huge sense of achievement, it gave me a desire and the confidence to push myself more. Because of that, I’ve experienced so many things I’m grateful for.
"The desire to travel is greater than ever now I have a camera in my hand."
My passion for photography developed slowly at first. I was given a digital camera for my 30th birthday. After years of learning the basics, I started making progress, and became more confident and adventurous with where I went and what techniques I used. I’ve always enjoyed discovering new things. I feel that with photography I learn something new every time I pick up my camera. I’m fortunate to live in a rural area, so nature has surrounded me all my life.
These days, photography is a huge part of my life. I have my camera gear with me most of the time. I have been known to take a detour to one of the many brilliant roadside locations on my way to work, on the off chance of capturing something special. My evenings are spent reading, watching photography vlogs and planning weekend adventures. I’ve never been more motivated than I am right now.
Perhaps my biggest motivator is my goal to keep learning and enjoying my photography. I’m sure we all get times when motivation is hard to find and things don’t always go to plan, but it’s all part of the process. I look forward to doing more mountain bike photography. I raced DH mountain bikes from the age of 12 up until I was 30. Like every kid, I learned to ride a bike at a young age. Only I never really stopped riding, so for me, it progressed into racing . I rode all over the UK, competing in British championships and regional races. I would go to France during the summer and ride over there with friends. I have many fond memories of the time I spent over there. If only I had been into photography back then, I could have documented the stories from our summers in the Alps. I guess the culture around it was as big a part of the experience as the riding. There was always more to a weekend away than just racing. I am keen to shoot the racing side of the sport, but I also want to capture the people and the culture that surrounds it.
"As well as mountain bike photography, I look forward to continuing to photograph landscapes. I still have a lot of goals in mind for that area of my photography."
My technique has come a long way, compared to when I first started taking landscape shots. I always used to think ‘I must get to the top of the biggest hill’ to get the best photo. And those pictures would turn out okay. As I gained more experience I started to see that what I thought before was not necessarily true. I learned how the light falls differently on every place you go at different times of year. Now, I spend a lot of time planning shots, to the point that it becomes obsessive, my wife will vouch for that! To hike 3 hours up a mountain in the dark, only to discover that you’d be better off on the opposite side of the valley, is tiring and unproductive.
"I guess that’s why I say that travelling with my camera has educated me about the planet."
Education isn’t all it comes down to though. Take capturing cloud inversions for example. I can put plenty of time into planning and studying weather patterns, but ultimately it comes down to luck. There have been countless times when I’ve been standing on top of a mountain, watching the sun rise with only a few distant peaks poking through the clouds as company. Those are the moments that make the 2:00am alarm worth it. Any time under a clear sky is always a blessing, whether I have my camera with me or not.
Amazing skies feature pretty prominently in my travels, as well as my photos. My first wild camping trip to Snowdonia is an experience I’ll never forget. I remember the agonising hours of carrying gear and the sheer amount of planning it took. All was forgotten the moment I woke up and saw the sun rise over the mountains. At the time I wasn’t familiar with the area, which was a little intimidating, but added to the adventure.
Another sight that springs to mind is the Aurora borealis. I was on a recent trip to Iceland with my now-wife (we got engaged over there!). I remember seeing the locations that had ignited that fire in me, my passion for landscape photography. It was an unforgettable experience. Besides seeing the Aurora, we walked in a Glacial cave, we watched Humpback whales and drove to the remote WestFjords. Iceland is a truly stunning country that I cannot wait to return to.
"As amazing as Iceland is, I should take the opportunity now to say how inspired I am by my homeland of Wales. I love it here."
The seasons change so fast, and the weather is never the same one day to the next. How could you get bored of a place like that? We are lucky to have such diverse landscapes too. Our mountains may not be like the Alps, and our coastline is no California, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I think in the last year we have had more of a chance to appreciate what’s on our doorstep. Some of my favourite photos are ones taken just 10 minutes from my house.
I think getting into photography has helped me see this place from a different perspective. Capturing the night sky has been both interesting and rewarding. Here in Mid Wales, we have very little light pollution. I think getting out and stargazing when we have clear skies is something everybody should make the effort to do while they’re here. Something I’ve gained from doing photography is knowing how to slow things down and enjoy them. Little things like sitting and watching the sunset or getting up early to see the sunrise. I don’t think these things would ever have appealed to me if I hadn’t picked up that camera all those years ago.
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