2013 Best of Portrait and Wedding

I posted part one of the Best of 2013 yesterday, covering my travel, scenic and sports for the year.  Below are my favorites from 2013 for Portrait and Wedding work.  It was a great year, thanks to all the clients for their support and I look forward to working with you all in the future!  This year is already looking busy, but I do have availability for portrait, family, and weddings on a limited basis, so get in touch if you are interested in reserving a date.

2013 Best of Scenics, Travel, and Sports

2013 was fantastic!  I had a great year personally and professionally with my photography, traveling to Europe, Monument Valley, Lake Powell, and many other places near and far.  I continued to keep a diverse shooting schedule, from families, couples, and weddings to travel, the southwest, and my first ever college bowl game!  2014 is looking to be a great year, the schedule is already filling up, but I always like to pause at the new year and look back on some of my favorites.  Below are my favorite scenic, travel, and miscellaneous images from the year.  I'll post a part II tomorrow covering my favorite family and wedding shots, so stay tuned and check back.  Make sure to go 'like' Matt Beckmann Images to see all of my updates and new work in the future.

Praise God - The downtown Albuquerque skyline with Martineztown in the foreground, a contrast of styles.  This image won Best of Urban in the 2013 ANMPA Show this December. 

Winter Hills - I enjoyed spending time in the Sandia foothills this year after moving near one of the trailheads.  This particular day, the clouds provided some drama after a recent snow storm. 

Eiffel Lines - It is always difficult trying to find a new view or vantage point on a iconic location or landmark.  This carousel sits across the street from the Eiffel Tower, and fits perfectly into the towering curved lines of the tower. 

Narrow in Nice - One of our favorite towns that we visited on our Europe trip, the old town of Nice has great charming, winding, narrow corridors to explore. 

Sunset Flight - Our other favorite place, Manarola in Cinque Terre.  This was the view from our hotel room believe it or not! 

Isolated - While in Cinque Terre, my wife and I had to try out the amazing hiking trails in the area.  This view of the town of Manarola is from one of those trails high above the Mediterranean.

Manarola at Dusk - If you can't tell already, Cinque Terre is a photographer's dream!  I spent several nights waiting for the right time to capture this magical city in the right light.   This image was juried into the 2013 ANMPA Show.

Abo Under the Stars - The Abo ruins were built in the 1600s, and are now a national monument.  I spent a night at them this summer photographing the ruins and the night sky above.

Breathtaken - This year I was finally able to cross Monument Valley off my photography bucket list.  I camped near the site, and got up before sunset this morning to capture this view of the Mittens.  This image was juried into the 2013 ANMPA Show.

Still Waters - After stopping by Monument Valley, I joined some friends at Lake Powell, where we rented a boat and spent a few days camping and enjoying the lake.  This was late one night, just outside our campsite.

The Canyon - The morning light was fantastic in this view from our campsite in an isolated side canyon.

Albuquerque Skies - I found a new favorite view point this year that overlooks Albuquerque and the Sandia Mountains.  This is the view looking North from there during a particularly colorful summer sunset.

Motivated - I happened to be in the foothills photographing the scenery and skies this summer day when this young lady climbed to the top of the stone building and struck a pose, as if to summon the clouds. 

Balloon Glow - As a lifelong resident of Albuquerque, I sometimes take our wonderful International Balloon Fiesta for granted, but I always spend at least a morning or two out around town trying to capture new perspectives on this event.

Reaching - I finally was able to shoot my first college football game this year, the New Mexico Bowl, and it happened to feature an amazing comeback from my Alma Mater, Colorado State!  Here, Donell Alexander reaches for the pylon for a two point conversion that would tie the game, minutes before CSU would kick the winning field goal at the end of regulation.

Best of 2012 - Part Two

I posted my top shots from the year on Friday, but because of the diverse genres I shot this year, I felt a part two was needed, covering my favorite shots from weddings, family, and couple sessions.  This year was my busiest in this area by far, and I hope to continue that in 2013 and beyond.  I really love doing these events and sessions more and more each day!  Thanks to all the couples and families that chose to share their special moment or time with me.  To see the latest, go 'like' Matt Beckmann Images on facebook.  Enjoy!

Stay tuned for more blog posts soon.  And if you haven't already, go "like" the facebook page, Matt Beckmann Images!

Best of 2012 - Part One

2012 was another great year.  Personally, my wife and I moved twice, traveled lots, and finally bought a new house.  We also lost both our old pets but brought in two new great ones to the family.  Professionally, my photography this year was quite diverse, covering everything from families and weddings to eclipses and light bulbs, and everything in between.

Before I dive into what promises to be a great 2013 (with more blogging at the top of the "to-do" list), I always look back at the previous year and choose my favorite images.  Since I really did a lot of weddings and families this past year, I'm going to do a separate best of for that, to come Monday.  Below are my favorite 10 images of 2012!

Riveted Bird - Beechcraft UC-45J Expeditor, at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tuscon, AZ

San Xavier del Bac Mission, Tuscon, AZ 

Narrows Majestic - The beginning of the Narrows in Zion National Park, UT.  One day I'm going back to hike up this...

Horseshoe Bend - Outside of Page, AZ.  I spent the early morning hours here waiting for sunrise, it was such a peaceful place.

Lower Antelope Canyon - Also outside Page, AZ.  This is the little brother of the much more popular Upper Antelope Canyon, and also much better.  Around every turn was a new angle or interesting formation.

Sangria Skies - The Sandia mountains earn their namesake with the Rio Grande in the foreground. 

Sneffels and Friends - The mountains outside Ridgeway, CO in late May.

The Photographer's Eclipse - I spent a few hours photographing the May solar eclipse, and got a great sequence that shows the progress of the eclipse, but this image was my favorite of the day, catching a few stragglers on the ridge a mile away still shooting.

Pop! - I had a blast creating this image and almost as much fun holding a contest to see who could guess how it was created (see past posts).  This also was juried into the 2012 ANMPA show.

Crescent Maine - Taken on our schooner cruise aboard the Stephen Taber, a highly recommended trip!  For a New Mexico boy, Maine offers a lot of different and new scenes to photograph.

Row - Again, aboard the Stephen Taber.  The boat "babe" returns to shore once more to retrieve supplies during dusk.