Unlucky for some, but not for us !!

We are so very excited to tell you that after a mammoth 5 hour judging session at last night’s MPA Awards for the South Eastern Region, Matt Pereira Photography picked up no less than THIRTEEN awards.

The MPA (Master Photographers Association) was Established in 1952 and with over 2,000 members, it is the United Kingdom’s only organisation for full time, qualified and professional photographers.

The Master Photography Awards are the most prestigious awards for photography in the UK.

You may remember our marvellous success at last year’s SE Region Awards, where we won a whole host of accolades.

Well, this year we may not have managed overall photographer of the year but maintained a very good consistency in several areas. The categories are slightly different this year, but essentially the same really.

Here is a list of what we won …

WINNER – MPA Pictorial, Illustrative & Fine Art Photographer of the Year 2011, SE Region
Award of Excellence (2nd Place) – MPA Pictorial, Illustrative & Fine Art Photographer of the Year 2011, SE Region
WINNER – MPA Press, PR & Stock Photographer of the Year 2011, SE Region
Award of Excellence (2nd Place) – MPA Press, PR & Stock Photographer of the Year 2011, SE Region
Award of Excellence (2nd Place) – MPA Fashion Photographer of the Year 2011, SE Region
Award of Merit (3rd Place) – MPA Family Photographer of the Year 2011, SE Region

Followed by …

One Award of Merit in Children’s Portraiture
One Award of Merit in Family Portraiture
Two Awards of Merit in Contemporary Weddings
Two Awards of Merit in Wedding Photojournalism
One Award of Merit in Contemporary Portraiture

Had the decision fallen to award the Overall Photographer of the Year Award on a points basis (5pt for 1st, 3pt for 2nd, 1pt for 3rd) we would have taken that win as well, for the second year in a row – but, alas, it was not to be on this occasion.

Nonetheless, we are thrilled again to have scooped so many wins and merits. Here are all of the winning images:

WINNER – MPA Pictorial, Illustrative & Fine Art Photographer of the Year 2011, SE Region
Taken in a backlit alley in Brighton as a bit of an experiment!

Award of Excellence (2nd Place) – MPA Pictorial, Illustrative & Fine Art Photographer of the Year 2011, SE Region
My gorgeous girlfriend, Helen, in Lanzarote earlier this year. She endured this jump with a really sore and stiff neck, but knew that I was on to something …

WINNER – MPA Press, PR & Stock Photographer of the Year 2011, SE Region
This image was taken as part of a set for Helen Nathan, mother to four gorgeous daughters … you may think that there are only three in the image, but there is one more. Namely Flossie Crums, featured on the McDougalls flour packet !

Award of Excellence (2nd Place) – MPA Press, PR & Stock Photographer of the Year 2011, SE Region
This is one of my all-time favourite shots from the last 12 months – you have heard me talk before about the amazing singer/songwriter Rachel Golding. This is an “accidental” shot from her PR shoot, taken as I was just doing a lighting test !

Award of Excellence (2nd Place) – MPA Fashion Photographer of the Year 2011, SE Region
Having won this category last year, it was a shame to only come second this time around, but I am pleased with another ‘podium finish’. This shot of the gorgeous Anna Quirk from Bookings Models, was taken for a Yarwood White bridal fashion shoot.

Award of Merit (3rd Place) – MPA Family Photographer of the Year 2011, SE Region
Another podium finish in the Family category, which we won last year – a beautiful and intimate family portrait taken for a Baby Surrey magazine Welcome to the World feature..

Award of Merit in Family Photography
Just outside the top three – a cracking family shot of Sian and her boys!

Two Awards of Merit in Contemporary Wedding Photography
Rachel and Simon, seemingly on a destination wedding, but very local indeed!

The lovely Sarah and Richard, partaking in their first dance.

Two Awards of Merit in Wedding Photojournalism
Two completely different days, weather-wise – the first was Katrina and Richard on a nasty day, down on the South Coast …

… followed by a gorgeously hot day for Emily & Rich, at Chiddingstone Castle.

Award of Merit in Children’s Portraiture
Just William, on the sand dunes in Northern France …

Award of Merit in Contemporary Portraiture
And the final award, once again with the very talented Rachel Golding …

All in all, a fantastic day in the company of some very, very good photographers. A massive thanks goes out to all of my models, parents, subjects, babies and everybody involved in helping make each and every one of these images. Without you, the people, none of it would ever be possible …

And of course, a big thank you to Ray Lowe, our judge for last night … what marvellous taste he has!

Having booked me over 18 months ago, Katie & Matt’s wedding is now fast approaching, and we will be meeting up again in less than two weeks! So, this weekend, after a couple of failed attempts, we met up at Bristol’s gorgeous Harbourside for their pre-wedding shoot.

Having visited the location before, for a Speedlight Mastery course with one of my great inspirations Damien Lovegrove, I knew exactly where I wanted to go and what I wanted to try. So, we dodged the Saturday shoppers and the flow of people around the MShed, and just got on with doing our stuff.

Both Katie and Matt were naturals, and ignored all the stares and comments from passers-by. Between you and me, I think Matt thrived on the attention !

Just before we go to the images, a huge Thank You to Helen and Freia who were our very capable assistants during the shoot. (Lots of pressure shooting in front of two other photographers, I tell you!)

Here are my choice cuts from our session:

See you next weekend guys!

A few weeks back I was very honoured to meet and photograph the writer and illustrator, Judith Kerr, the name behind the well known book, “The Tiger Who Came to Tea”! The book was first published in 1968 and was written and illustrated by Judith.

The story is now a live stage show and Judith has another book recently published, called “My Henry” …

Here are a couple of the shots from the session. Check out the Autumn issues of Baby Surrey, Baby London and Baby Hampshire for an interview with Judith.

What better way to spend a warm, sunny July afternoon than in Richmond Park on a photoshoot ! Which is exactly what Jennifer, Les and I did a few days ago, for their pre-wedding shoot. Having booked me as their wedding photographer over 18 months ago, how mad is it that we only manage their session less than two weeks before the wedding proper ?!

So, despite the flying and biting bugs, and both Jen & I fighting the hay fever, the three of us spent a fun, relaxing couple of hours just getting to know each other a little more ahead of the wedding, which takes place at the end of the month.

As always, my favourites from the session :

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Most Recent Comments

1. Thanks Matt, the pics look great. I feel much more relaxed about the whole thing now, really enjoyed the shoot. As I said before, I can’t wait to have the shots in the dress! xx

   Comment by Jenny Armond — 13 July 2011 @ 5:44 pm

2. They’re going to make a stunning bride and groom!

   Comment by Gill — 13 July 2011 @ 5:39 pm

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This super fun couple are getting married next weekend and I cannot wait – there’s a special thing happening that I am not sure if I can talk about yet, so I keeping schtum for now.

We met up down in Eastbourne last week, on the day that the weather was shockingly bad … fortunately we missed the rain, but it was threatening for the duration of the shoot!

It made for some cool and moody skies though …

Always good to have a bit of fun!

And this is my favourite from the session …

Really looking forward to Saturday guys, see you then !!