About Matthew

I'm a Bay Area-based photographer specializing in outdoor portraits — families, individuals, and couples who want natural light and real locations rather than a studio setup.

Photography found me through a life spent outdoors. I've lived and worked across Australia, Nepal, Vietnam, Eritrea and London before settling in Mountain View. Those years moving through different places taught me to slow down, pay attention, and look for the moments that happen when people stop performing and just exist somewhere.

I have two kids of my own — a daughter who's 21 and a son who's 17. I've been photographing them since they were small, which means I've navigated every stage of the "kids who don't want to be photographed" problem firsthand. That experience shapes how I work with families — I know when to push gently and when to just wait for the moment to happen naturally.

That's what I bring to every session — whether it's a family at a Bay Area garden, someone wanting portraits they're genuinely proud of, or a couple on a coastal bluff at golden hour. I'm interested in the way people soften outdoors. The way they breathe differently, move differently, and look like themselves rather than a version of themselves assembled for a camera.

Matthew Duncan Photographer taking photo in Pt Reyes

What it's actually like to work with me

Most people feel awkward in front of a camera. That's the starting point for almost every session. My job is to make that feeling go away as quickly as possible — through movement, conversation, and working in places that feel natural rather than staged.

I work quickly and keep things relaxed. I'll give you direction when it helps and stay out of the way when it doesn't. By the end of most sessions people have forgotten they're being photographed — which is exactly when the best images happen.

A person wearing a yellow jacket, beige pants, and a helmet, hiking across a suspension bridge over a river in a mountainous area with snow-capped peaks and greenery.

Based in the Bay Area. Ready to Go Further.

I'm based in Mountain View and photograph clients throughout the San Francisco Bay Area — the Peninsula, South Bay, East Bay, Marin County, and the Santa Cruz Mountains. I'm also available for destination sessions in national parks, mountain ranges, and international locations for elopements and adventure travel.

If you're looking for an outdoor family photographer, personal lifestyle portraits, or action sports photography anywhere in the Bay Area, I'd love to hear about your vision.

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A person in an orange jacket sitting on a large rock ledge overlooking a fjord surrounded by steep mountains with patches of snow, clouds, and mist.