March’s Website of the Month contest winner was Matt Lollar Photography! We caught up with Matt to find out his top tips for taking photos, which lens he can’t live without and much more.

Hi Matt! Tell us about yourself and Matt Lollar Photography.

I am originally from Florida but moved to the UK in 2004 having followed in the footsteps of my grandpa by marrying a ‘British gal’! I live in Sheffield with my wife (Rachel), daughter (Phoebe), son (Reuben) and dog (George).I have worked in photography for about 6 years and specialise in wedding and portrait photography, but also do 1:1 tuition and professional sports portraits.

Photography became something I was interested in after traveling with my dad around the states when I was a kid. He always had an SLR camera (film camera) with him and he would load the film and let me take some pictures. I always loved getting them back from the printers to see what I had shot on our trips!

I didn’t really take any pictures throughout high school because my focus was much more on sports (and girls) as I played baseball, American football had a blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do and was on the powerlifting team. Yes, I was a jock.

Just after my wife and I got engaged, she bought me a digital SLR and that’s when I really became hooked! Not long after I got the camera, people started asking me to shoot their family portraits, weddings, sports, bands, etc and I figured if I was going to spend so much time doing it I might as well get paid for it!

My business started slowly and it was part time on the side of my full time job in marketing. As soon as I got so busy that I was having to book days of holiday to shoot photography jobs I decided to quit my full time job and go full time with my photography business. This meant that I didn’t leap into the photography until I was ready both mentally and financially. Running your own business is no easy task! I went full time with my photography in May 2010.

What’s been the biggest highlight of your business so far?

The biggest highlight for me is that I get to run my own business getting to do what I love every day – taking photos and being around people. I love international weddings and every so often someone from outside the UK will book me to shoot their weddings. In March, the Kenyan Ministry of Sport short listed me to go to Kenya and shoot the entire Olympic Team leading to the 2012 Olympics. I missed out on getting the commission but even being asked was a privilege.

Which photography tools and equipment would you hate to be without?

Anyone who knows me knows that I am never far from a coffee pot or my green, astro-turf covered flip-flops! Those two items would definitely be at the top of my packing list for a desert island! Of course I couldn’t be without my Sigma 50mm F/1.4 lens, which when used correctly produces the most stunning photos! It is on my camera about 90% of the time! Getting the right lighting is also crucial and whilst you can’t pack this in your camera bag, choosing the right time and location is vital.

What are your top tips for taking amazing photos?

Great light and great interaction are always my two main goals when taking photos of people. Without either of these things your photos will just look ordinary. A good photographer will achieve both of these.

My approach means that no two people’s portraits look-alike because I am trying to capture them and what they want to do, not applying a ready-made formula or style. Making people feel at ease is also crucial, there’s not one wedding I’ve shot yet where shouting “Hey Big Daddy” to the groom hasn’t raised the most genuine of smiles in front of the camera!

What resources would you recommend to photographers just starting out?

There are three websites I would highly recommend for anyone starting out in photography. The first of these is flickr.com, a website with a group for just about everything! If you want to know about capturing the expressions of dogs or how best to use your Nikon D700 then there’s a group and discussion board for that. Don’t underestimate how much you can learn from other users.

The second website is strobist.com, a great blog on off camera lighting, and as I’ve said before, it’s all about the lighting!

Lastly for a small fee you can join kelbytraining.com, which is a great website with tons of video tutorials.If you want to learn how to shoot a wedding, then this website has a step-by-step tutorials on how to do it, so you can get the experience of the shoot without actually having to do it!

How did you decide who to hire for your website design?

The top three things I was looking for when hiring a web designer was that they should be local, affordable and efficient, and fortunately for me Ben at Resound Design encompassed all those things and also came highly recommended! Resound design have been great at getting on with the task in hand, always being available to speak to on the phone (I hate e-mailing) and good at the more mundane but essential things like invoicing and timekeeping.

What kind of look did you want for your website and why?

The most important thing for me when thinking about the ‘look’ of the website was that it should strike a careful balance between reflecting the professional, reliable service I offer, with my easy-going, fun and relaxed style of working with people to create photos that reflect their personalities. It was essential for me that the site was easy to use and that the photos took centre stage, as they speak volumes about how I work.

Why did you choose to host your website with us?

Honestly? My specialism and skills lie with the camera rather than I.T systems! I didn’t want to host it myself and wanted to be able to phone someone local who I knew I could trust. Ben at Resound uses you guys and that is good enough for me!

How did you go about asking people to vote for your website?

Mainly through my twitter (follow me at @MattLollar) and business facebook page.

What are your future plans for Matt Lollar Photography and what would you like to achieve with your business?

When I started out in photography what I really needed was a more experienced photographer to take me under their wing and show me the ropes, but sadly for me there wasn’t anyone to do this.My dream is to grow the company to the point where I can hire and train other professional photographers and make Matt Lollar Photography a place to nurture and grow aspiring photographers, whilst providing the best possible service.