A bit of history.

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You often hear photographers, whether professional or hobbyist, tell you they got into photography because they have always had a passion for it. "It was what I truly always wanted to do!" or "Even though I was a successful (enter random job here), my heart always yearned for photography." or... you get the drift. For me, that definitely wasn't the case. Oh, trust me, I do have a passion for it now, but that wasn't my *origin story*. 

No, I got into the photography world because I was cold and hungry. Literally. You see, back in the winter of 2002 I was framing houses for a living. Although you couldn't really call it a living because it was the middle of winter and the work was basically non-existent. There were weeks I wouldn't bring home more than $200. When I did work, it was cold and miserable, and I still couldn't afford groceries. It was time to get a job that would actually pay the bills. 

I found an ad in the classified section of the paper. Yep, twenty years ago that was still a great way to find a job. It was an ad for a camera specialty retail store opening up a few towns over. Before I was a house framer, I actually had plenty of retail and sales experience. I gave it a shot. The interview went well, but since I didn't have any photography experience, I almost didn't get the job. But again, I was hungry. So, I was persistent and didn't leave them alone until they gave me a chance. 

I ended up working for Bedford Camera and Video for nearly twenty years. During the first year or so, I learned a lot. And I do mean a lot. Let me tell you, working around cameras, lenses, flashes, and all the other gear, as well as interacting with professional photographers every day will go a long way toward teaching you the world of imagery. 

After about four years, I began teaching photography classes at the camera shop. Photography had become an obsession with me. I breathed it in. I dreamt about it. It had become my identity. So, you see, I didn't get into photography because I had a passion for it. I developed a passion for photography because I got into it. 

While working for Bedfords, I dabbled in photo shoots on the side. I did weddings, families, seniors, landscapes, events, boudoir, and just about anything else you can think of. It was fun, but I didn't treat it like a profession because I had a "real job." That all changed back in 2019. I decided that while working at the camera shop was quite possibly the greatest retail job ever, it was still a retail job. I had to work Saturdays, long holiday hours, and missed a lot of my kid's growing up. I needed a change. 

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​"I knew I had this in the bag. Boy was I wrong."  

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As luck would have it, a real estate agent who was also a real estate photographer came into the store and said she was retiring the photo side of her business. She wanted to know if anyone there knew of someone in her area who might be interested. *cue the raising of my hand" 

I shadowed her a few times to get the basics of what realtors wanted and needed in their images. And being that I had nearly two decades of experience, I knew I had this in the bag. 

Boy was I wrong. 

After getting a handful of real estate listings, and bombing all of them, I realized capturing homes would not be quite as straight forward as I thought. Therefore, I devoted the next year of my life to nothing but researching, studying, and learning everything I could about real estate photography and media. I applied all I already knew about photography to this new-to-me genre and built it into the company that is now Dyson Creative Media. 

Just like my passion for photography growing from being thrown into the ring, my love for real estate and commercial media grew from jumping feet first into that world. I absolutely love the world of commercial photography and media. That is why our focus is on photo and video for Real Estate, Headshots, Branding, and the like. That focus means we are able to excel in creating the content you need to be a successful brand in your own right. 

That's the history of how Dyson Creative Media came to be. 

If you are already a client of DCM, thank you. Sincerely. 
If not, we look forward to the opportunity to work with you to help build your brand. 

Wishing you all the best, 


Matthew Dyson
Dyson Creative Media ​