FACT FILE* Age: 27.* Education: Graduated Hixson High School in 2001; studied history from 2002 to 2005 at Lee University.* Family: Wife Kristin Wolcott and son Noah Wolcott; parents Jeff and Jackie Wolcott; sister Jordan Walcott and brother Nick Wolcott.* Hometown: Akron, Ohio.* Company: Image Photography (www.imagephotographi.com).* First pro camera: Nikon 6006.His petsA betta fish named Prozac.NicknameBig Matt.Dream AssignmentShooting models on a skyscraper for a fashion magazine.Dream destinationParis.Favorite book"When Crickets Cry" by Charles Martin.
For many photographers, capturing candid moments means remaining unnoticed in the background. For Matt Wolcott, the owner of Image Photography, that can be a problem.
At just over 7 feet tall and 650 pounds, Wolcott describes himself as Chattanooga's biggest photographer, and he said the attention his size draws can be a double-edged sword.
"I know my size affects people differently. They prefer somebody who's smaller to someone who crumples a desk chair whenever he sits down in it," Wolcott said, laughing.
"Not only has it been my crippling factor, but it's been my success factor," he added. "I can get angles no other photographer in Chattanooga can get ... (and) kids love me."
Wolcott, 27, opened Image Photography in 2008. He focused on studio work until earlier this year, when he closed the doors and went back to waiting tables to rebuild his savings and restructure his business model. He returned to full-time photography in July and now mainly shoots on-site for family portraits, senior portraits and weddings.
Last August, Wolcott had the camera lens turned on him when he was filmed taking the first family portraits of Maci Bookout and Ryan Edwards and their son, Bentley, for the MTV show "Teen Mom." The episode aired last December. The photos, which Edwards and Bookout never picked up, will run in an upcoming issue of OK! Magazine.
Q: How did you land the opportunity to shoot for "Teen Mom"?
A: (My wife) Kristin and I are big fans of Ichiban Japanese Restaurant. At Ichiban one night ... Kristin looked across from us and said, "That's Maci," and I said, "Who's Maci?" She goes, "From '16 and Pregnant,'" and I said, "What's '16 and Pregnant'?" (Laughs.) She said she was on MTV, so I was like, "Oh."
At that time, we were making the studio, and I needed some test subjects. I said, "Hey guys, I loved you on the show. I wanted to offer you some free sessions."
A couple of weeks later, I got a call from the producer of "Teen Mom" saying, "Hey, we're shooting a new reality series, and we'd love for you to be part of it. We want to shoot at your studio. Would that be OK?" I was like, "That would be great. Are you kidding? National TV? Yes."
Q: Did you get nervous being on the other side of the camera?
A: Very much so. The only way I can keep my wife quiet now is to keep a microphone on her. She didn't say a thing the entire time. That was very nerve-wracking for them to be there. It was pretty crazy.
Q: What convinced you it was time to open your own studio in 2008?
A: I was stuck in the restaurant industry. That was when the economy was going haywire, and everybody was stiffing everybody. Nobody was making it. Something needed to happen.
I ran into a local photographer named Tom Smith, and he introduced me to the Professional Photographers Guild. I joined them for a year and then joined the Professional Photographers Association. I've been a member ever since.
Q: When you're behind the lens, what are you looking for?
A: I like to see things from the perspective of an onlooker. If I'm doing an engagement session, I want to be like the person walking down the street who just happens to catch that couple kissing. If I'm sitting in a wedding at a pew, I want to catch that little wink to the mother of the bride.
I love it when babies cry and put their lip out and lay next to momma. To me, that's better than any portrait of a mother and son portrait with them smiling. When he's 18, she can look at that photo and know that, "At one time, when you were crying, I could hold you and make you stop."
Q: If your subject is nervous because of your size, how do you make them feel comfortable?
A: My personality. I try to make them laugh and tell jokes. If I make fun of my size in front of them, they feel more comfortable in front of me.
Q: What's your favorite thing to hear after a shoot?
A: That they'll be coming back. I want to build rapport with our clients. I can't wait to be old enough that the wedding photos turn into family photos turn into senior photos turn into wedding photos. It's a circle of life, and that's what we want to be a part of. I'm a hopeless family romantic.