Matt found me the way a lot of people find things now. He asked an AI tool to recommend a personal branding photographer who took authentic and natural portraits in the Inner West, and my name came up. It’s a strange, slightly wonderful thing to think about, my human-centred business being recommended by a machine because enough real work and real words exist online to point to. It’s also interesting because it tells you about how people are actually looking for photographers and other services these days, we’re not just scrolling Instagram or searching google anymore.

Matt runs Idyllic Funerals, a funeral and celebrancy service based here in Sydney. Before that, he spent twenty years in finance. The shift happened after he lost a dear friend, and realised he wanted to spend his working life on something that really mattered to him: helping families create farewells that feel true to the person being remembered.

What he needed

When Matt got in touch, the photos on his website were phone snaps his wife had taken. Totally fine, but not doing justice to the business he’d built or the level of care he brings to it. He needed images that put him alongside more established names in his field, and he needed a proper suite of content for social media too. Not stiff headshots but pictures showing him in action. Warm, natural, engaging images: him consulting with a family over a cup of tea, explaining the difference between coffin options, a hand on someone’s shoulder, a hug. The deeply human parts of the job that aren’t often photographed that tell the story of connection and care.

Matt wasn’t nervous going in. He told me straight up he trusted the process. That made things easy, because my job is mostly about removing the reasons people have to feel awkward in the first place: explain how the day will run, keep instructions light, and have a conversation. I spend most of a branding session asking questions, genuinely, because everyone I photograph has a reason for doing what they do, and that reason is usually the thing I’m trying to capture. Matt’s reason came up early: the friend he lost, the corporate career he left, why supporting people through one of life’s hardest moments and honouring each life in a personal, authentic way really matters.

How the day worked

Matt wanted the shoot to stay local, even though his own clients come from all over Sydney. We ended up across four Inner West spots in one day: Marrickville Library, St Brigid’s Catholic Church, along the Cooks River near Marrickville Golf Course, and his own home. We split it into a morning and afternoon session, partly to chase good light and partly because there was simply a lot to get through.

Matt brought his microphone, and at a few of the locations we set up as though he were running an actual service, lectern, candles, urn, the whole thing. Other frames were built around a quiet consultation: two people at a table with tea, forms laid out, a conversation about flowers. We deliberately mixed tones through the day. Some images are reflective and still. Others are just Matt smiling, easy, mid-conversation. A funeral director’s work isn’t only solemn, and neither is Matt, so the photos needed room for both.

Honestly, he’s one of those rare people who’s exactly as genuine as he seems. It’s obvious within about five minutes of meeting him that this isn’t just a job. He really cares about the families he works with and his warmth and authenticity came through in every frame without either of us having to force it.

The result

The images are already live on Idyllic Funerals’ website and Matt’s been using them across Instagram as well. Here’s what he said about the photoshoot:

Verity was fantastic to work with, and the whole process was seamless from start to finish. Her local knowledge was incredibly helpful in choosing locations, and the finished photos were excellent, exactly the look and quality we were hoping for.

Matt Morgan, Idyllic Funerals

If you’re a funeral director, celebrant, or anyone whose work is more about care and connection than a job title, and your current photos don’t reflect either, that’s exactly the kind of personal branding session I love shooting. I’m based in Sydney’s Inner West and mostly work with local professionals, though the questions I ask and the way I shoot don’t really change depending on the industry. Everyone has a story worth photographing.

If you’d like to chat about a session, please get in touch, I’d love to hear from you!