When you choose a photographer for your family, you are trusting someone with the expressions, relationships, and little details you want to remember. We are Matt and Shea Wolcott, the father-and-daughter team behind Matt & Shea Photography in Chattanooga. This year has brought professional recognition we are proud to celebrate—and a chance to thank the families who have made our work possible.
Celebrating Shea’s PPA 30 Under 30 recognition
Shea was selected for Professional Photographers of America’s inaugural 2026 PPA 30 Under 30 class. The program recognizes emerging photographers and other imaging professionals who are contributing to the future of photography and visual storytelling. Seeing Shea’s name among the honorees is a special moment for our family and studio.
Shea brings that same care to the parents and children who step in front of her camera. A portrait session asks a family to be vulnerable: to show up, trust the process, and let someone else take care of the details. We want that trust to feel well placed from the first conversation through the finished photographs.
Read PPA’s 30 Under 30 article featuring Shea Wolcott, or explore the official 2026 honoree list.
Two more PPA awards for Matt in 2026
Matt has earned two more international portrait awards through PPA this year. Each recognition represents continued work on the craft: understanding light, shaping a portrait, noticing expression, and finishing an image with intention.
For parents, those technical choices have a practical purpose. They help create photographs that hold your attention because of the people in them. We want you to see your child’s personality, the way your family fits together, and the feeling of this chapter when you look at your portraits years from now.
Local appreciation and statewide recognition
We are also celebrating a 2026 top-two finish in the Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of the Best. Recognition from the community where we live and work means a great deal to us. Thank you to everyone who supported the studio.
Our 2026 Best of Tennessee honors include Best Photographer overall, Best Newborn and Maternity Photographer overall, Best Regional Family Portrait Photographer, and Best Regional Headshot Photographer. We are grateful for recognition across the different chapters families and professionals invite us to photograph.
Explore the Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of the Best program and the Best of Tennessee results.
What this means when your family books a session
Awards are a reason to celebrate. Your experience is what you will remember. You deserve clear answers before you reserve, help choosing a session, and a plan that considers your children’s ages and personalities. You should not have to arrive already knowing how to pose.
If your biggest concern is that your toddler will need a break or your teenager will feel awkward, tell us. We can discuss the pace, your priorities, and what will help everyone feel prepared. A family portrait does not require every person to act like someone else.
Our studio serves families throughout Chattanooga, Hixson, and North Georgia from 3835 Hixson Pike. Whether you are planning newborn portraits, a maternity experience, family photographs, or professional headshots, we would love to help you decide what fits.
Thank you for being part of our story
Every recommendation, returning family, and photograph displayed in a home is part of the studio’s story. Thank you for allowing us to do work that matters to us and to the people in front of our cameras.
Ready to plan your own portraits? Tell us about your family or explore a family experience and book through our website. Which chapter would you love to preserve next?
