Matt Barnes Photography

Matt Barnes Photography Creative portrait, headshot, glamour and pinup photography. Based in Palmerston North & Wellington, New Zealand Get in touch for a shoot!

Looking for models, actors, make-up artists and stylists who want to add to their portfolios.

This shot was a bit of a mission. Shot with cosplayer Willows Grave in Wellington, this was a very bright, sunny day and...
10/09/2026

This shot was a bit of a mission. Shot with cosplayer Willows Grave in Wellington, this was a very bright, sunny day and so I had to crank 600W flash strobes to full power to even make a dent in it.

It was during Wellington Cosplay Photofest, so we could not reschedule. Sometimes, you gotta take on the sh*tty light and hope for the best!

Shooting black and white is all about texture. As demonstrated here by Wellington model Hazel May, shot in my home studi...
09/09/2026

Shooting black and white is all about texture. As demonstrated here by Wellington model Hazel May, shot in my home studio last year.

A promo photo shot for Wellington performance artists The Dangerous Darlings. It's circus with maybe just the odd bit of...
08/09/2026

A promo photo shot for Wellington performance artists The Dangerous Darlings. It's circus with maybe just the odd bit of bladed weapon!

Another shot from the weekend at Altitude Pole. This time, Viking Zak Rodgers managing it WITH sword in tow!
04/09/2026

Another shot from the weekend at Altitude Pole. This time, Viking Zak Rodgers managing it WITH sword in tow!

For the second year, I had a weekend photographing folks at Altitude Pole, which is heaps of fun. I have a LOT of editin...
03/09/2026

For the second year, I had a weekend photographing folks at Altitude Pole, which is heaps of fun. I have a LOT of editing to do as a result, but here's a quick sneak preview, featuring instructor Lucy Cruden looking epic as hell!

I like to try and give a variety of looks during a shoot. That can be tricky in cosplay stuff when it's a single outfit,...
02/09/2026

I like to try and give a variety of looks during a shoot. That can be tricky in cosplay stuff when it's a single outfit, so it comes down to lighting.

This shoot was with Australian cosplayer Hamlet's Daughter as Black Cat from the SPIDERMAN games, shot on a street in Wellington CBD on a sunny day. I saw this roller door painted black and figured it was worth a try for that kind of 'prison break spotlight' look. For that, it would have to be a hard light (so, back a bit from the subject) with a snoot on it for a narrow beam, and would have to be cranked to full power in order to overpower the sun. Sometimes it's handy having 600W lights!

Cosplay star Lady Ally at sunset as Yennefer from THE WITCHER. Boom. You're welcome.
31/08/2026

Cosplay star Lady Ally at sunset as Yennefer from THE WITCHER. Boom. You're welcome.

Sam Alexander, Palmerston North, 2026Yeah, I love having my own studio space!
30/08/2026

Sam Alexander, Palmerston North, 2026

Yeah, I love having my own studio space!

It's a happy birthday for Friday for model, legend, Skylar Leigh! I've been shooting Sky for about 13 years, and she is ...
29/08/2026

It's a happy birthday for Friday for model, legend, Skylar Leigh! I've been shooting Sky for about 13 years, and she is just a staggeringly talented model. An absolute chameleon who seems able to do any style of shot, and handle any weirdness I throw at her. I'm using this photo, 'cos I know she likes this one, haha!

Cinematic styles with cosplayer Grizz as Lucy from CYBERPUNK: EDGERUNNERS
28/08/2026

Cinematic styles with cosplayer Grizz as Lucy from CYBERPUNK: EDGERUNNERS

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