Matt shot my wedding back in 2002. He is incredibly talented, smart, fun, funny, interesting, affable, highly professional, and an all-around great guy. I had some time on my wedding day to hang out with him, and I look back on that part of the day fondly because we had such great conversation. And once the day got going, he was the perfect photojournalist -- completely unobtrusive yet perfectly capturing the day and its many magical moments. When my husband and I were on the plane heading to our honeymoon, we nervously said, "Umm, do you think he got good pictures? I didn't see him at all." When we got them back, we were blown away. I remember showing my friends at work and everyone agreeing they were some of the most amazing wedding photos they had ever seen. He loves shooting kids, which is one of the reasons I hired him since nine of my nieces and nephews (ranging in age from 6-13) were part of the wedding. The pictures of them that he captured that day are all-time classics that everyone in my family treasures, including the kids themselves (who are no longer kids!). You will not regret hiring Matt. read more

The referral to my daughter's wedding photographer was made by my son-in-law who knew of his background with the AP in war zones and national news - not exactly a direct connection to wedding photography ...but Matt brings all of that experience and skill in capturing the essence of the story to his wedding photography. And he actively looks for those moments that make the story. (For example my daughter did not want an "official" father-bride dance but when they spontaneously hit the dance floor I noticed Matt bounding across the room to capture the moment - which resulted in some of the best of many great pictures of the day!) His ability to frame a picture and work with the light is phenomenal. He was careful to get photos of all of the VIPs on the bride and groom sides. And as a businessman, Matt was completely responsible in his pricing, delivering the photos on time and helping with the placement of the best pictures in the official "album". In summary he's just the best! read more

Matt is a stand out photographer. Not just from his many years of work in the realm of news and photojournalism but in regards to everything. He also managed to do the impossible. Which was to make me look GOOD in photos he took of myself and my wife. From the time of contacting him, setting up an appoint, and getting everything done, edited, and over to us, he was the epitome of professionalism, and did I mention how awesome his photos are? He loves what he does, and it honestly shows. He takes care with what become memories for a lot of folks, and you can tell people like him back by the number of friends he has gained just by first doing photographs for them. Myself included. I consider him a friend. I consider him a great artist, and in my estimation, the BEST in the NOVA/DC region. You have an important event you want to remember (wedding, anniversary, birth, kids, etc), you call Matt. You can't go wrong. read more

I first heard of Matt Mendelsohn Photography from Washingtonian's wedding issue as one of the top-rated photojournalistic wedding photographers around. We were lucky enough to see his work and to meet/book him when he shot our friends' wedding a year before our own. He was amazing! We have continued to use Matt's photography over the last 15 years: engagement photos, wedding photos, couple photos, pregnancy photos, newborn photos, family photos, etc. He's truly incredible at capturing my sons in the best light--even when there is total chaos. Matt also wrote an article for the Washingtonian (December 2012) which became their most-read ever online issue ("Remains of the Day"). I can't say enough good things about Matt. He's professional, courteous, fun to work with, has become like family, and his work speaks for itself. Check him out! read more

My husband and I have been married for seven years and we still love seeing the beautiful photos that Matt took at our wedding. He has an artist's eye - able to capture fleeting moments in what can be (and let's be real, often is) a hectic and emotion-filled day. He is able to see and photograph these brief, honest moments while seemingly by magic also finding perfect light. We love the candid shots that highlight the emotions of the day as well as having the family portraits. I am especially grateful for a photo of me and my grandmother, who passed away only a few months later. One of the best parts of Matt's photography is how enjoyable it is to be the subject - whether it was posing with bikers from rolling thunder or laughing on the bus talking about This Is Spinal Tap, Matt smoothly navigates the intersection of fun and art. read more

Matt is/was an international AP photo journalist that captured the most prolific World events, and now works to capture the biggest events in your World. He is not only talented, but a kind guy that does the right thing. I'm an admirer of his work but have never been able to pay for a session; however, he knows how much I love his photos. I ran into him at sunrise at the Cherry Blossom Festival and he snapped a few freebies of my dog and I, just because... Even at 5am, fresh out of bed, no make up and groggy... He captured the moment perfectly. Not a glamor shot, but a shot that shows the joy and beauty of real life. That's Matt. (Disclaimer: this story is to demonstrate his kindness and quality work, not devalue his work. It is worth every penny and when I have a major photo-worth event come up, I'll be saving to book Matt.) read more

Matt is honestly one of the best photographers in the DC area (if not the whole east coast). I had seen examples of his work at Kettler Iceplex where my daughter played hockey, and loved the way he captured the children on the ice. I followed him on Facebook, and began watching all the wonderful examples he posted of various types of work from weddings to portraits to advertisements. We (finally) hired him for spring portraits of my daughter at the Tidal Basin with the cherry blossoms, and simply put: they are breathtaking. The light and backdrops he chose were perfect. His ability to capture my daughter's personality was awesome. I can't wait for another excuse to hire him for family portaits throughout the upcoming years. I think once you hire Matt, you'll be hard pressed to go to another photographer. read more

Matt shot our wedding in July 2000 (and my grandparents' 60th anniversary brunch the day after that). At the time, it was a significant chunk of change but a friend I trust implicitly told me that you go for the best with wedding photography. I have never once regretted this decision. He captured the day perfectly and beautifully, without being intrusive and while displaying a great sense of humor for the combined debacle of our two crazy families together. The photos from our wedding and the brunch are displayed around our home and over the years, everyone who sees them comments on them. I feel they are works of art. It's my goal this year to get up to DC so he can take our family portraits. He has my highest recommendation. read more

Matt is an absolutely fantastic photographer (and a pretty freaking great guy to boot!). We hired him for our wedding, and never looked back. His guidance before our big day was invaluable in helping me plan the timing of things. His presence before, during, and after our wedding was calming and welcome. And of course, the most important part, the photographs were absolutely phenomenal. We just celebrated our ten year anniversary, and people still comment on how lovely the photographs are - natural and photojournalistic in style, but gorgeous and special. In fact, we are flying across this country in a few weeks and having Matt take family photos of us and our two children, and I cannot wait! read more

There is no one like Matt, in my opinion he is the best! He first photographed my cousin's wedding. I loved his work and didnt even remember him being at her wedding! (You do not want a photog in your face and making you pose on your wedding day!) i knew he was the one we wanted to capture the most important day of our lives. He did such an amazing job. Every single picture was perfect and exactly what i wanted! Since he is local, he knows the exact places to go to get the right shot. Matt also took pictures of our family once we had children. Words cant describe how thankful i am for those pictures. They were GORGEOUS! Like i said, no one comes close to matt! He is #1!!! read more

I don't have experience with Matt M. as a wedding photographer. Instead, Matt Mendelsohn has done portraits of my children for years. They are on every wall of the house. Like everyone else, we have thousands of images of our kids; taken on phones, on throw-away cameras, taken by school photographers, by neighbors, etc. Simply put, Matt's are the only ones that are the iconic images we think of when we recall our kids' growing up. They're not snapshots of what the kids were doing that day or what they were holding in their hands. They seem to embody who they were at the time. They are x-rays of emotions and personalities. I am so so glad they exist! read more

My family had the privilege of working with Matt to get portraits done this past fall. I've also known Matt for quite a while before this but had never reached out to him for a photo session. In all honesty, there have been numerous events since I met him where I wish he could have been there to help preserve the memories. Matt is the best photographer I have ever met. That sounds like a really big thing to say, and it's true. He is the standard by which I would judge other portrait photographers' work. The prints that we got from him are now a centerpiece for our home. If you have a chance to work with him, take it. read more

Matt photographed my wedding, and since then we've gone back to Matt several times for family photos. What sets Matt apart from other photographers is not only his work product (which is better than anything I've seen elsewhere - from a perspective of pure ego, it is incredible seeing yourself and your loved ones in photos that are truly works of art) but his process. He is beyond easy to work with. He's a joy to work with. Flexible, imaginative, creative... great communicator. Matt shuns the tired notion of the obvious, trite posed photos, and instead captures the "magic" in the surroundings and his subjects. read more

Matt has been doing commercial photography for my Pilates studio for years, and we get compliments the creativity of our marketing almost every day (thanks Matt!!). Additionally, I just didn't love my wedding photos. A friend of mine had hers done with Matt and I had major photo envy. So two years after my wedding, my husband and I got decked out in our wedding clothes and went out with Matt at sunrise to shoot the most fantastic photos ever. Matt is a wonderfully talented photographer and a really fun person on top of that. I'll always use him for any professional photographs. Could not recommend him more. read more

Matt has taken photographs of our two children two times (3 years apart). He has an amazing ability to take gorgeous pictures that capture the personalities of his subjects and tell beautiful stories about relationships and special events. His artistic eye also means that they are worthy of enlarging and hanging on your walls - which we have done with many of our photos. We love them now and will only cherish them more as the years go by. Matt is also a pleasure to work with - our kids laugh throughout most sessions and love having photos taken (not the case when we do it). No one regrets hiring Matt. read more

I first learned about Matt from seeing his photos of other people and their dogs at McLean Animal Hospital. They were just gorgeous black and white portraits. I got in touch with him and he took some of the most wonderful pictures of Tally, my chow-chow/retriever mix, with me and with her neighbor wheaten buddy, Kiele. We developed a friendship over time. And I ALWAYS felt comfortable recommending Matt to friends who needed a photographer. Besides having a killer eye and being able to capture special moments, he's just a good person. That's a potent combination. read more

Matt has photographed some of our family's most significant moments and is a true artist and a pro. He has an eye and ability to capture what is unique and authentic about his subjects, without a forced point of view or prescribed approach. He captured some of the most memorable and intimate moments of my wedding without intruding on the events or moments themselves. Most importantly though, he's a really easy going and nice person, and has put me completely at ease in front of the camera. Highly recommend. read more

Matt photographed our wedding in Annapolis in 1999. We were both journalists and had lots of connections to excellent photographers but Matt was above and beyond the best one we interviewed. And the results could not have been more amazing. We had asked for journalistic style coverage and that is what we got, along with incredibly creative posed shots and unforgettable candids. Not only were the photographs amazing, Matt himself was as professional as could be. I highly recommend his work. read more

The best. He did gorgeous shots of our chamber music ensemble a few years ago that we continue to get compliments. Then just recently, out of the goodness of his heart, he shot some pics of my daughter and her boyfriend, because due to a snafu they didn't get prom shots taken. They were thrilled to have photos by someone of his caliber. Sometimes I look through his recent wedding shoots just because he makes all his brides look stunning! read more