Profile

Thank you for viewing my pixels! I'm Mat Beetson.

After 27 years working in the photographic industry helping people and businesses achieve their photographic goals and having unlimited access to a variety of cameras for personal work, I finally decided to practice what I've preached all these years and showcase my own work.

My photographic career began in 1991, I was 14 years old working for Kodak in a busy professional photographic retail store in Perth CBD. My job was to process films and sell cameras, but it wasn't long before I started to develop GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) yes its a real affliction! Google it....

Back then I never actually owned a camera, I just wanted to grab that pro camera from the top shelf and press the button and listen to how many frames per second it could do…The camera I used to reach for was a Canon EOS 1 Pro film camera and it ignited a lifelong love affair for photography. It became my mission to know as much about photographic equipment as possible and I would tell anyone who would listen just how awesome some of the cameras were.

I moved on from Kodak after 6 years, to join one of the biggest camera stores in Australia affectionately known as Plaza's, where I met some of the best people in the game. I am still lucky to count many of the old Plaza crew as friends today. 

The knowledge and friendships I gained over the years served me well, trying to find the right fit for the photographer’s needs, so they may realise their own photographic dreams. Eventually after 13 years (lucky or unlucky) I parted ways with retail and started working for the manufacturers. Initially with Fujifilm and then on to Canon where there was enough equipment at my disposal to cure my gear addiction…… almost.

I was really lucky working at both Fujifilm and Canon and I got to meet some of the best photographers in the world. Those companies fostered a great culture and I attended photographic workshops either passing on my knowledge or listening in to guest photographers talk about their craft. After attending an abnormal number of events as a host or guest, I decided to take my photography a bit more seriously and there were more than a few lessons that have stuck with me till this day.

I left Canon for a sea change to Broome and what was only supposed to be a 12 month hiatus has turned into enough years to call this place home. After leaving Canon and the better part of 20+ years in the Photographic industry I have often thought my photographic career was over. As the years have passed my love of photography has never subsided, I realised it never really ended I just hadn’t started the next chapter…...at this point I'd like to acknowledge the support from my beautiful wife and my family who have always encouraged me to showcase my photography and the nudges (many) from 2017 AIPP Landscape Photographer of the Year - Yane Sotiroski whose encouragement means more than the kind words spoken, thank you.

For me photography is so much more than just the adventure of getting out to wild and sometimes very remote places, more than capturing those special family memories and seeing the smiles that come from them seeing your images. More than winning awards for your creation and more than just the absolute joy of the process from capture to print. For me it is also the lifelong connection to people who share this passion that comes from photography. The friends (family!) and people who I have grown up with together in the industry that have remained friends, to meeting new people just starting out on their photographic journey, it is this friendship and bond that makes photography more than just capturing great images. It is an amazing community that I hope continues to nurture this essence, grow and always thrives.

I hope that you enjoy my pixels as much as I love capturing (and printing them!).

Mat Beetson