What is your background and how did you get into photography?

My working life started out with an apprenticeship in cabinet making. Once certified, I left and joined the garage door industry as a service technician (bit of a change I know) but I was just tired of being cooped up in a factory all day building cupboards.

I wanted to get out and meet new people every day. I spent 3.5 years in that industry when I had a job opportunity arise to be a welder (another drastic change) in the Mount Isa Mines.

At that point I had been doing some travel, and the only way to keep traveling, is to make $$$. I took the job and relocated to far NE QLD where I spent 2 years working/saving and traveling.

On my travel journey’s I constantly found myself behind the camera. I just loved to share what I was seeing, with everyone. This ended up becoming an obsession, and I would find myself out at unusual times, chasing light and shadows.

I just fell in love with taking photos, but I wanted more. I needed to truly understand how to use my camera. I then commenced a Diploma in Professional Photography via digital correspondence with The Photography Institute, in between my shifts at the mine.

After 6 months of study and saving, I was fed up with mining life and sick of going to a job that I didn’t like. I then knew what I wanted and made the biggest decision of my life. I knew I wanted to be a photographer, so… I did what any normal person does 🙂

I quit my job! Moved back to the coast and studied full time for the remainder of the course. Once completed, I spent the next 2 years constantly shooting and really getting to know and understand my camera/equipment.

Watched countless hours of photography tutorials and read numerous books and really crammed as much photog info I could in my head. I then stepped out and created my business, and have never looked back since! I can now say that I love my job! MattzPixz Photography was born!