“Matthew is hugely talented and possesses inspirational creative vision. We commissioned Matthew Seed to photograph several of our beloved racehorses and were absolutely blown away with the stunning results.
These incredible images provoke true emotion each time we view them and we shall treasure these beautiful works of art forever!”
Paula McNeill – Berkshire
Dear Matthew & Anne-Marie
Both pictures have arrived safe and sound. I opened the box with trepidation, a little dry in the mouth, with my colleagues gathered around me, hoping they were going to be as amazing as I remembered….
Slowly unwrapped the outer box, heart beating a little faster now, peeled back the bubble wrap of the larger frame…. as it emerged… gasps from all those around followed by stunned silence into widened eyes absorbing every detail. With everyone commenting, how stunning it was and Diemer looking magnificent.
Then moving onto the smaller frame, peeling back the bubble wrap, thinking can I be so lucky to have two perfect pictures???… again as it emerged… this time straight to the soft spot with ‘ah it shows how much you love him’ (cough cough clear the throat – hold it together), tilted heads in pure admiration…
Wow… that’s all I can say, they are magical both for very different reasons and have stirred my emotions.
They are currently sitting behind me at work, just a sigh every now and then and glance over my shoulder thinking of my darling horse.
Thank you so much, they are so much more than I expected before the shoot and have surpassed the building expectations since the viewing. He looks worthy of being on in Ralph Lauren advert!
Very happy client
Tuppence Silverio xxxxxx – Surrey
I cannot thank Matthew and Anne-Marie enough for the wonderful portraits of our boys and the care that went into every single step of the process! A truly unforgettable experience for my mums 70th birthday with the most beautiful pieces of art now hanging on our walls.
The day of the shoot itself was such fun, Matthew and Anne-Marie instantly putting us at ease and stoically dealing with the muddy working farm!! Not the most glamorous location!! The time Matthew took getting to know each of the horses and familiarising them with the equipment meant even the young green Arab stayed settled, responsive and attentive throughout the shoot.
The real jewel in the crown of the whole experience was going to the studio for the viewing! This was truly unique! And overwhelmingly beautiful. Seeing the true character of our boys shining through in each shot. Matthew’s experience guiding us through the many, many beautiful images, sorting and comparing as we went to finally settle on the short list and make our selection. And Matthew had a surprise for me here, despite intending to have a horse only shoot he’d taken a few frames of me with Dutch when I thought he was resetting and captured a beautiful quiet moment of us together.
When I saw this I knew this was my portrait, it moved me to tears as it perfectly captured my Dutch, my horse, my best friend.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Matthew to anyone, if you aren’t sure, just do it, you won’t regret it!
When I started researching photographers I knew I need look no further than Matthew. My decision to choose him has paid off in the most spectacular way.
The whole experience from the beginning was exciting and enjoyable. To me the most memorable part of the journey was the viewing in Matthew’s lovely new gallery. To see all the best shots of my horses on a large screen almost life sized, was not to be missed. It made the difficult decision making process easier.
I knew the results would be good but I was not expecting how incredible they were and how deeply they would affect me. I did not think it possible to love my horses more but Matthew has done just that. It feels as I have my horses physically at home with me. He has captured the essence of them. Their beauty takes my breath away.
I could not recommend Matthew highly enough. Both him and Anne-Marie are professional yet delightful to spend time with. Thank you for giving me something unique and priceless.
Kind regards
Cathy Thorby – West Sussex
I had always wanted a bespoke painting of my wonderful horse, Andrew, but had never found the artist who I felt could create the vision I had in my head and capture the true personality of my boy.
I saw Matthew’s work at Burghley a couple of years ago and although I didn’t actually speak to him I did notice his amazing images. As Andrew was growing older I wanted to try and find the perfect artist for his portrait and in my continued quest to find said artist I then remembered Matthew. I called and spoke to Anne-Marie who was amazing, I loved her non-pushy approach, she was so helpful and didn’t rush me to make a decision. It was a few months later and after Andrew was diagnosed with a growth on his larynx I knew I needed to get on with it so I booked a photoshoot!
It is difficult to find the words to describe Matthew’s photographs of my horses. To say that I am thrilled with them is inadequate. I absolutely treasure them.
They speak to me in a way that no other person could truly understand because Matthew has captured the very essence of all my horses. I have one of the photographs on my desk and as I look at it now it makes me grin and brings a lump to my throat all at once.
I will always remember the first image I saw at Matthew’s studio; it literally took my breath away and there were lots more to come. Even my totally non horsey husband was speechless and he loves the images.
Matthew and his assistant Anne-Marie were extremely professional and a pleasure to deal with. I was completely confident that Matthew understood how to best photograph my horses and the end results are simply stunning. There is nothing generic about Matthew’s work. Each image is a unique work of art.
Kind regards
Victoria
After looking at numerous equestrian photographers’ work and then at Matthew’s, we realised a good photograph of our horse was just not going to be enough for us. We wanted something much more than that. And what we now have are timeless pieces of art that we will never stop loving.
Matthew, we cannot thank either you or Anne-Marie enough for instilling the confidence in us during those first conversations to know that, although we would need to come to Cheshire (from Surrey) for our viewing, Matthew was the man to photograph our horse (and in turn our dogs).
Quite simply Matthew, having pioneered the way in which you achieve your end results, we consider you a photographic genius. We cannot wait to get the finished photos of our dogs to add to our Matthew Seed collection and we only hope many, many more people are as savvy as we were in choosing you.
With our love
Fiona & Shane
Dear Matthew and Anne-Marie, I just wanted to say a very big thankyou for the quite amazing photograghs resulting from the shoot with Lena and Sovereign.
My aim was to find Lena a special gift that would show the true bond that she has with her horse. I could never have imagined the outcome and the truly stunning photograghs of them both.
They completeley blew me away and I know Lena thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and is absolutely thrilled with the results. She cannot wait for the final pictures and I suspect she will make a special trip to collect them.
Matthew you are a master of your trade and I count myself very fortunate to have discovered you. You have produced something we will treasure for our lifetimes.
Many thanks again and I wish you every success for the future.
Best Wishes
John
I had known for some time that I wanted to have a wonderful image of my lovely cob, Geoffrey (Geoffrey-Gorgeous to his friends, family and fans!) on my wall. I knew too, that I wanted that image to be something special; something spectacular; something unique. In addition to all those qualities, it was essential that the wonderful personality of my best friend and soul mate was captured for all to see, enjoy and appreciate.
I’d spent many months admiring fabulous portraits and speaking to incredibly talented artists, but nothing quite got me to pick up the phone and commission them. That all changed one day at Blenheim Horse Trials as this amazing image caught my eye. I was irresistibly drawn into the magical world of Matthew Seed’s incredible work and I knew that I’d be making a phone call once home to secure a booking.
And so it was that on one cold, sunny (but not too sunny!), November afternoon, Geoffrey, Anne-Marie, Matthew and I found ourselves standing in a field. We spent a fabulous 2-3 hours capturing Geoffrey in all his glory – the end result being hundreds of images being captured by Matthew. It was a fabulous experience, made all the more fun by the friendly, relaxed and professional approach taken by Matthew and Anne-Marie. The empathy that Matthew showed around Geoffrey, the patience demonstrated as we waited for Geoffrey to look in the right direction, the laughter as we got people to jump around waving carrots to get Geoffrey’s attention all made for a really wonderful and memorable afternoon.
We waited with great trepidation to get the call to go and view the end result. On the first Friday of 2014, I headed up to Matthew’s wonderful studio where I spent an incredible few hours achieving the seemingly impossible … choosing which images to have. Again, the patience, expertise and good humour in a beautiful setting, surrounded by images of Geoffrey-Gorgeous all added to the depth and richness of memories surrounding the whole experience. For those of you who commission Matthew, please do the studio element; not to do so means you miss out on so much as it is a wonderful experience in itself!
The final stage of this incredible process occurred in early February where my dream of having Geoffrey immortalised was delivered with the arrival of some rather substantial cardboard boxes. Geoffrey’s images had arrived! They are now scattered all over the house – we have him at his most regal; we have him at his most reflective; we have him being affectionate. We also have him at his most cheeky. All that I could have asked for and dreamt of – and more.
When you commission Matthew (as I strongly recommend that you do), you will have the most incredible experience from the first contact, to the arrival of the wonderful black envelope, to the photo shoot and then to the studio visit and then of course to the crowning glory of the results of all this arriving by courier at a time to suit you. Fabulous.
Kind regards
Juliet Glanville – Nr Basingstoke
From the the first email , through to the viewing of the photographs Matthew & Anne-Marie have been professional, knowledgeable and above all passionate about what they do.
My horses are mother and daughter and I wanted Matthew to capture the special bond they have, but I also wanted a photograph of the relationship my daughter has with them.
I can hardly believe the results. Viewing his final selection was an emotional experience and the two pictures we chose were incredible. The photograph of the two horses is amazing a work of art, the relationship between them is obvious.
The picture of Kate and Maggie is truly stunning and we were lost for words when we saw them. To be able to capture the essence of that connection in a single moment takes incredible skill, a skill that the photographer Matthew Seed possesses.
Thank you so very much for your patience, ability to listen and above all our truly beautiful pictures.
Barbara & Kate Livesey
I came across Matthew Seed via the internet and looking to purchase horse photography. I particularly liked the style of his photography and thought what better way to buy some art, than to buy photographs of our horses.
When I called Matthew I was a bit surprised that he said that he would visit me to take the pictures of the horses but I would need to travel to Cheshire to look at the final photographs. I live in Sussex and if I had not been planning a weekend to Cheshire for some years I may not have proceeded and of course preferring his photographs to any others I had seen by a long way helped.
The shoot was great fun – Matthew took a lot of pictures of both horses and I was completely confident that there would be one or two good ones. At no point did he seemed rushed or there to just take a few shots – I think the shoot lasted at least 4 hours. When, my partner and I arrived at Matthew’s studio to view the photographs we were really impressed – I had not really known what to expect. You sit on a sofa and look at a huge screen and then Matthew will show you the fantastic pictures of your horse.
We had about 60 photographs to choose from, cut down from about 1000 shots I think Matthew originally took. My advise is that if you choose to ask Matthew to take photographs of your horse (and you really really should) you should schedule enough time to look at the pictures at his private gallery to get the full benefit of what he can do – at least 2-3 hours.
If you are in any doubt my recommendation is that it is well worth the effort of travelling to Cheshire to choose. The whole experience was a pleasure from start to finish and we have ended up with some truly amazing pieces of art which have the added advantage of being of our own horses.
Harriet Charles – Sussex
“ A truly professional experience all round. From start to finish Matthew took the time and patience to work with my ponies in their photo session.
It was a thoroughly rewarding experience and the images captured are superb works of art through a camera lens. During the viewing of the images I was blown away and they exceeded all of my expectations. It made me very emotional to see my horses being portrayed in this way.
A very special day indeed. A huge thank you to Matthew and his team for their empathy and professionalism “
Michelle Clayton – Derbyshire
Working with Matthew is a great experience from start to finish.
Matthew exudes an air of quiet confidence and calm around the horses that seemed to settle my three, often neurotic chaps, almost immediately.
The end result is amazing – I wanted to show the relationship between me and my horses, and one of the very first shots he showed me brought tears to my eyes – says it all really!
I have never seen such beautiful and unique photographs – they are in a league of their own!
Thank you
Claire Forsyth – Gloucestershire
I have had my handsome boy since he was just 3 years old, so over the years we have built up a very strong connection and I feel that connection has come across perfectly.
So when my other half gave me my 21st birthday present of having a professional photo shoot taken with Matthew I was overwhelmed and could not wait.
From the start both Matthew and Anne-Marie were very professional making it very easy to organise the day. When the day arrived Woody was fairly nervous with the cameras but Matthew and Anne-Marie were both very relaxed and calm which helped both Woody and I relax into the shoot. For somebody that doesn’t like having their photo taken I was made to feel very comfortable, especially with being heavily pregnant at the time. This made stunning photos.
I was very eager after the shoot to see the photos. When we arrived we starting looking through the photos which was just such a very hard decision. They were displayed in a gorgeous way on a big screen on the wall. Every photo that was taken had just captured a different emotion but each one was stunning, like a piece of art work.
When my photo arrived at home it was so exciting, it was perfect in every way and it’s an honour to have an amazing piece of art work on my wall. Now everybody that enters the house looks and asks about the photo – it’s definitely the centre of attention in our house.
Thank you so much to both Anne-Marie and Matthew for the experience, I will remember it forever and treasure my artwork for the rest of my life.
Best wishes to you both
Jade & Woody
A few years ago I came across the stunning work of Matthew Seed in a magazine. I dropped many hints to my Husband, which I thought had been in vain, until last year, for my birthday, I was presented with a black envelope! It was a real surprise and resulted in the most breathtaking photographs of my much treasured horse Lanmire.
The shoot was organized for what turned out to be a glorious day in June. It was a fantastic experience, Matthew and Anne-Marie were an absolute pleasure to spend time with and Lanmire was so relaxed in their presence.
After much eager anticipation we were invited to Matthew’s most elegant studio for the viewing. The images were just outstanding, full of such presence, personality and with the most amazing backgrounds. To see them on such a large scale was so moving and impressive. I have hundreds of my own photographs but nothing on the scale of what Matthew had captured from just one afternoon! The most difficult part was narrowing down the images one by one, it almost felt an insult to Matthew’s work but to choose just one from so many seemed an impossible task. It was, so eventually it was decided to have two!
The unveiling of the portraits, back at the studio, left me speechless. Now back at home everyone who has seen them has had the same reaction. They are beautiful works of art which will be forever admired.
Thank You so much Matthew for your patience, the results speak for themselves, you are a genius. Thank you to Anne-Marie for your help in making my present a surprise and for all your hard work on the day, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
Jayne Middleton – Derbyshire
I could not be more delighted with the result of our photo sessions with Matthew and Anne-Marie. The photos are stunning and Matthew has managed to capture my horse’s personality perfectly. This was no easy task as my horse Wolfie was not very co-operative.
Matthew’s approach was very calm and patient, but as it turned out, he was not satisfied with the photos from the first shoot so came back a second time for no extra fee. I was hugely impressed with that as a very long journey to my yard was involved and Matthew and Anne-Marie spent another 3 hours shooting a second set of photographs, this time with total success as the horse was much better behaved.
Apart from the results which speak for themselves, I think this second “no charge” visit shows what a complete professional Matthew is; he is not satisfied unless the quality of the shot is top notch. A true perfectionist.
Everyone who has seen the photographs say how wonderful they are, and many have described them as “works of art”. I agree!
Matthew and Anne-Marie are delightful to work with, and I would highly recommend them.
Thank you, I will cherish the photos for ever.
Marianne James
Dear Matthew and Anne-Marie, Its arrived!!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
The photograph of Escort is just perfect, you have captured him beautifully, the backdrop is dramatic and the whole image encapsulates so many emotions and memories for me.
Thank you for coming all the way to my parents in Wales to photograph him and for being so patient while I chose this image from the 30+ you had for me to view. I cannot recommend your commissions enough as a gift for a loved family member or friend.
I really hope that one day I can buy the 2 remaining shots from my top 3 as they also were truly magnificent works of art and quite simply breathtaking.
Thank you for capturing Escort spectacularly in all your photographs, they are works of art all showing the true spirit of the horse. I think this beautiful poem ‘Tribute to the Horse’ is exactly what you capture with your photography:
Where in this world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy, beauty without vanity?
Here, where grace is laced with muscle, and strength by gentleness confined.He serves without servility; he has fought without enmity.
There is nothing so powerful, nothing less violent; there is nothing so quick, nothing more patient.
England’s past has been borne on his back. All our history is his industry: we are his heirs and he our inheritance.
The Horse
BY ROBERT DUNCAN
Matthew, Anne-Marie – Thank you xx
Jane Bowden Clarke – Leicestershire
Seeing the look on our twelve year old daughter’s face this Christmas when she opened her present was absolutely magical (by the way it is not very easy to disguise a 4ft by 3ft picture!!). Having spent nearly 3 hours in a muddy field with Mickey, Matthew managed to capture the complete essence of the love of our young daughter’s life.
Matthew made both the photography session and the viewing great fun – nothing was too much trouble except for the difficult task of trying to narrow down the selection of 30 pictures to the chosen one!
The full selection of photograph’s captured every aspect of Mickey, from his stunning looks to his charming temperament but as soon as we saw his playful personality come out in this photograph, we knew it was the only one for Olivia.
Once I have convinced my horse to behave in front of the camera, I’ll back back for more.
Many Thanks
Julie
When I was handed a stylish black envelope from my mum… she eagerly awaited my opening of it…. It was a unique gift – a one off photo shoot to share with my beloved, faithful four legged friend – Flash.
Coincidentally I was aware of Matthew Seed and the way he captures that effortless emotion and drama using his creatively skilled flash technique.
From start to finish both Matthew & Anne-Marie have been absolutely amazing in the whole of our process really kind, caring and professional – we have never felt like just a ‘client’ this experience was very individual and personal to me – especially having being blessed & already shared 17 wonderful years with my pony it was fitting to have that ‘special moment’ captured – something that I will truly cherish.
Thank you Matthew & Anne-Marie for moving me to tears and creating that forever moment, both my pictures have different meanings to me & are now etched for a lifetime of happy memories.
Best wishes to you both & thank you again.
Jen & Mum x
“Little did we know that a surprise Christmas gift of a photography session with Matthew and our horse Poseido would be so much fun in spite of some hours spent dodging the showers and with various helpers to get Poseido looking and standing where he was supposed to be. Throughout it all Matthew kept on working quietly and professionally.
What did we think of the resulting pictures? Beyond thrilled with them. Absolutely stunning. The extraordinary dark colours of the sky and land. The many shades of light reflected in Poseido’s coat and mane – dazzling. Matthew captured it all in his own inimitable way.
Liz Davis
My shoot with Matthew was a very special occasion. My horse Mac had been taken seriously ill the year before, and I wanted these photos to be a celebration of his return to good health. Matthew has a real affinity with horses and he photographed Mac and I in a very natural setting, just interacting as we would normally do.
The result was that Mac was very relaxed and not bothered at all about what was going on around him. He relished being the centre of attention. As Matthew had taken the time to quietly observe Mac and to listen very carefully to his story, the 30 or so photos he selected for the viewing were just amazing.
I had no idea what they were going to be like, but I was blown away. I was with Matthew for over 3 hours as I was finding it difficult to narrow down my choices, but he helped me work through several scenarios and combinations of photos. I drove away really happy with the choices I made.
When the framed pictures and canvases arrived I was really delighted with the exceptionally high standard – they are immaculate. I am sitting in my lounge writing this, looking at a canvas of Mac on my wall. There is a lot of emotion and happy memories tied up in that picture – which is exactly what I wanted.
Diane Freeman – Hampshire