Back on the Luxe Blog: Photographer Feature Friday! We’re always thrilled to showcase passionate genre photographers who ignite inspiration! Today we’re featuring a sports photographer who makes magic with light and teaches others to do the same, Edward Mathews (@ _e3_photography_)!
At Luxe, we value elevating community and delight in uniting photographers with one another for inspiration, friendship, mentorship, and growth – these interviews highlight inspiring photographers and creatives who share in this goal to inspire, educate, create, and connect!
Since the debut of our Luxe Sports collections, we have been inundated with inquiries from aspiring photographers eager to explore this genre. What better resource for them than our own community, filled with dedicated creatives? This week, we reached out to Edward to dive into the world of Sports Photography! Our conversation covered how he began in this field, the intricacies of his creative process, collaborating with young clients, practical effects, light design, and even his editing techniques!
Edward is a passionate sports & senior portrait photographer, mentor, and educator, known for his infectious enthusiasm for excellence and crafting dynamic light in any environment! His unwavering commitment to his craft and clients, combined with his eagerness to share the tricks of the trade, makes him an invaluable resource for anyone interested in sports photography. As you review his work, it's impossible to overlook the confidence he inspires, which is vividly reflected in the expressions of his young clients – seen as vividly in the spontaneous moments he captures as the thoughtfully designed dynamic concepts he executes!
We’d be shocked if you weren’t itching to try something new in the realm of light and practical effects after a peek behind his lens!
Introduce yourself! How did your photography journey begin?
I originally started shooting by photographing my kids’ games, just wanting to capture those moments on the field. That eventually sparked a deeper interest in portrait work—especially using dramatic lighting techniques to create more impactful images. After taking a couple of years off to travel, I came back to photography with a fresh perspective, and about ten years later that passion evolved into what E3 Photography is today.
So many practical elements must come together to “get it right” in creative portraiture. Which aspects of “setting up the shot” came the most naturally to you? What was (or has been) the biggest struggle?
Lighting came the most naturally to me—especially dramatic, off-camera lighting. I’ve always been drawn to how light can completely change the mood and tell a stronger story, so shaping light and building atmosphere feels instinctive. Once the lighting is locked in, the rest of the shot starts to fall into place.
The biggest struggle early on was balancing all the moving parts at once—lighting, posing, environment, and working with younger subjects who may feel awkward or nervous at first. Learning how to slow things down, communicate clearly, and make the subject feel confident was a game changer. That balance between technical control and creating a relaxed, fun experience is something I’m always refining.
Briefly, what does your planning process look like? How does this process differ when working with teams versus individual senior sessions?
My planning process always starts with a vision—thinking about the story we want each image to tell, how light will sculpt the scene, and how the environment can enhance the mood.
With teams, it’s like orchestrating a performance: everyone has a role, and timing and flow are key to capturing energy and cohesion. Individual senior sessions feel more like a collaboration, a space to explore personality, experiment with light and movement, and create something unique that reflects who they are
Sports portraiture also requires a certain level of confident posture and prop-use accuracy. Your subjects appear so natural, self-assured, and confident. What would be your best piece of advice for those working with young people in terms of working around self-consciousness and avoiding awkward or stiff looking results?
The key is creating a space where your subjects feel seen, comfortable, and in control. With young people, self-consciousness is natural, so I focus on building trust first—talking, joking, and guiding them in a way that feels playful rather than rigid. I also give them small, confident actions to anchor their poses, rather than trying to force “perfect” positions. Props and posture work best when they feel natural, not staged. Once they relax and start moving, that confidence translates through the lens, and the images feel alive instead of stiff.
If you could go back to when you just started out and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
I’d tell myself to embrace the learning process and not be afraid of mistakes. Early on, it’s easy to get intimidated by all the technical details and comparisons to others. But every challenge—whether it’s lighting, posing, or working with subjects—was an opportunity to grow. I’d remind myself that patience, experimentation, and trusting my creative instincts are just as important as technical skill.
Which stage of your process takes the longest? How does this time spent ensure you “get the shot”?
The stage that takes the longest is the setup—lighting, environment, and composition. I spend that time intentionally shaping every element so that once the subject is in position, everything works together seamlessly. That careful preparation ensures the final shot isn’t just technically correct, but also tells a story, captures emotion, and highlights the subject’s personality. Investing time upfront makes the shooting itself feel effortless and allows the magic to happen naturally.
For learners interested in the niche, where would you advise them to invest the most time in education and practice?
I’d say the most valuable areas to invest in are understanding light and scene design, and actually practicing it hands-on. Manual shooting and technical skills form the foundation, but being able to see how light shapes mood and movement is what elevates work from good to impactful. Beyond that, working with a mentor or collaborating with others can accelerate learning and provide perspective you won’t get alone. Editing skills, business knowledge, and networking are important too, but I’d prioritize building a strong creative and technical base first—everything else grows from there.
Learning how to use flash to design light can be daunting for people – as someone who utilizes flash expertly indoors and out, was there ever an “aha!” moment for you where a certain strategy “clicked” or are we simply seeing the fruit of your experience over time?
There wasn’t one single “aha” moment—it was more a series of small breakthroughs over time. Early on, flash felt intimidating because it was another element to control alongside natural light. The real shift came when I started thinking of flash not as extra light, but as a tool to sculpt mood, guide the eye, and complement the existing environment. Each session added a layer of understanding, and over the years, that experience compounded. What you see now is the result of experimenting, failing, and refining techniques until using flash felt intuitive rather than technical.
Is there a specific sport, location, or creative/practical effect that proves especially difficult to capture or get right?
The most challenging setups usually involve complex flash work, especially when combining multiple light sources or blending flash with ambient light in tricky locations. Using flash to sculpt mood, highlight movement, or create dramatic effects requires precise placement, power control, and timing. Certain locations—like dim gyms, cluttered indoor spaces, or outdoor areas with unpredictable natural light—make it even more challenging to get the balance just right. Those moments push me to experiment and refine, but when everything clicks, the results feel cinematic and intentional.
Can you identify a favorite shot (or creative vision that you helped bring to life) that was especially rewarding?
It’s hard to choose just one, but a volleyball session with an athlete stands out. I managed to capture them mid-action, every muscle tense and movement precise, while the reflection on the gym floor mirrored the intensity of the moment. The light, the motion, and the energy all aligned perfectly—turning a fleeting instant into a single, powerful image that felt almost alive.
What are your favorite photography genres outside of sports?
Outside of sports, I especially love senior photography. Capturing a senior’s personality, style, and energy in a way that feels unique to them is incredibly rewarding. I enjoy using creative lighting, dramatic poses, and personalized environments to make each session cinematic and memorable—turning a milestone moment into something they’ll treasure forever.
Can you share a little bit about your editing process and favorite presets or tools?
My editing process is closely tied to how I light each scene, which helps me maintain a consistent style. I use Luxe Lens Sports presets and AI toolkits as my main editing tools—they let me individually adjust elements of a photo while keeping the overall look consistent across a session. Before these, applying traditional presets often affected the entire image, making it hard to achieve the same style for multiple photos without extensive tweaks. By far the best in the market at creating amazing work with minimum effort that literally causes your work to pop off the screen, print, or wall-art!!
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We are grateful for what Edward's shared with us here, the honor of being a part of his editing workflow, and his continued heartfelt support as part of the Luxe community! If you are looking to step into (or up-your-game in) the realm of sports photography and be the spotlight yourself, a great first step is learning your light! So many of your favorite sports photographers (like Edward here!) are offering mentorship and education opportunities, and what better time than the new year to dedicate yourself to refining your skills or learning something new? You can follow Edward on Instagram here.
