Snapper Lynette is among pic of the bunch

ASOUTHPORT-BASED photographer has been nominated as the one of the best in the North West.

Lynette Matthews, 32, has been running her business from home for three years but recently moved into her shop on Botanic Road in Churchtown, and has now been nominated for the Little White Books wedding photographer of the year for the region.

She said: “I started doing photography at uni because I was doing TV production and management at Edge Hill, that’s when I started getting into photography and things like that.

“I left about six years ago, probably seven years playing around with it.

“It was thanks to my husband really because he got me my first camera.

“He got me it as a gift to see if it was something that I was interested in and I just started playing around with it and went from there.”

Lynette was intitially reluctant to be a wedding photographer, preferring instead to focus on portraits.

“I wasn’t actually going to do weddings, I was like ‘no, not doing it, everyone does weddings, it’s boring’, I just wanted to do portraits.

“So I started photographing friends and models and things like that, and I went back to Southport College and did special effects make-up, gore and things like that, because I wanted to incorporate that and bring something new and different.

“But I found out it wasn’t really big over here, it was more big in America and then my friend one day asked me to do her wedding.

“I did and that was it, I was hooked from then,

“I honestly didn’t think I’d like it at all.”

Needless to say weddings have grown on her, allowing her to be creative with her work.

“You meet so many different people, you see so many different places, so many different venues.

“Then depending on the couple you get to have different types of creativity each time.

“There’ll be the odd wedding when you find you did this at another wedding and it’ll work here so you end up doing a few things that are a bit repetitive but normally you get to think outside of the box.

“Especially if you haven’t been to the venue, there’s quite a few venues in the North West that I haven’t been to because there’s a lot, so each time I go to somewhere new I’ll have a little look on Google, get some inspiration, and have a play around which is good.”

She added that the bond that forms between couple and photographer is almost instant.

“You’ve never met them, they’re perfect strangers, they come and say ‘hello, will you photograph my wedding?’ then the next minute you’re meeting their friends and family, having a laugh and a giggle and I try not to be intrusive – but in a way you are intrusive, you can’t help it, you’re in people’s faces with a camera.

“But you build a good relationship and I’m lucky to have worked with some lovely brides and grooms.”

That bond has served a surprise purpose as Lynette’s clients have nominated her for the award.

“I was actually nominated when I first started out because a lot of friends I did weddings for nominated me, I wasn’t expecting anything from it but it was still nice.

“This one was more of a surprise because I’ve worked with a lot more brides and grooms – fewer friends – so the fact that they’ve nominated me is quite nice.

“Brides and grooms can nominate any supplier in the North West, so there’s a category for best photographer, best venue dresser etc.”

While not setting her sights on national glory yet, Lynette refuses to rule it out in the future.