Empire Imaging

Matthew Payeur (pronounced, «pire» — as in M. Payeur, get it?! …don’t worry, it took me a while too…) is the man behind the lens at Empire Imaging. A humble but goofy master of the flash, Payeur works mostly from a studio within his home. A home, which you soon come to realize, was purchased with the secondary function of living, and the primary function of taking incredible photos — «I bought it because it had amazing windows — lots of light. You always have to have windows that face the north, because then you will have amazing light all the time…» Dedication, surely.
In my life I’ve had the opportunity to work with several photographers. I’m not the next Gisele, mind you, but I’m an artist and I love the medium of photography, though I have lacked any particular skill in it myself. As a result, I have stalked my share of talent, admiring work, commenting and giving praise — secretly adoring the kind of art that has always eluded my own skill set. This is how I happened upon Empire Imaging. And this is how I happened to find myself in his studio, preparing to partake in a «Transformations» shoot. A project that takes an average person and transforms them into an alter ego… into — a hippie, a rockstar… and in my case — a flame throwing superhero.
My biggest fear was not knowing how to pose. Okay, I lie. My biggest fear was being axe murdered, because I was driving three hours from my home into the middle of nowhere, when the last real sign of life was in the form of a T.J. Maxx seen from the highway half an hour before. All of which, of course, was dispelled within the first 2.5 seconds of jolly greetings, big smiles and small talk normalcy, followed by walking into an amazing studio with fabulous equipment and awards lining the wall.
My second biggest fear was not knowing how to pose. What do I do with my head? Where do I put my arms?!? Don’t let me make the duck face!!!
In the end, I didn’t make the duck face. I’ve never had a photographer take so much time giving exact direction on where to move and how to pose. Which anyone who has ever done a photoshoot knows, not knowing what to do with yourself makes it the most awkward thing ever. But not here. From the angle of my chin, to the posture in my shoulders to, in one instance, the exact positioning of each finger — no detail escaped his eye, and it was obvious that this isn’t just a job, or even an interest — it’s his life’s passion.
And you know what? I drove six hours in one day, just to work with him. Three hours down from Maine, and three hours back. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat. If you live closer than I do, you’d be crazy not to make the trek. As a professional hairstylist and makeup artist, I’ve collaborated with many photographers for fashion shots, runways, weddings, etc… and my only regret about Empire Imaging is that the distance means that I will probably not get a chance to do much industry work with him, and that’s a straight up professional tragedy.