IPQmagMy name is Matt and i am a photographer from London.
When was your first picture taken?
I bought a drone in 2017 and took some photos with it but living in London I couldn’t fly it often so I took up street photography instead. I went out a few times, took hundreds of absolutely terrible photos and then we went into lockdown. My camera gathered dust on the side for a year but once things started opening up I went back out with it. This time however, I went out having had a year of scrolling through Instagram and studying various photographers and a better idea of what I wanted to shoot. I took the picture ‘Work Chat’ in March 2021, I think it was the first photograph I was really proud of.
How do you put the person, place, or thing in front of the camera onto film, chip, or paper the way you want it to?
Im always looking for 3 things; environment, light and subject. I tend to find the first two, compose my shot and then try and wait patiently for a subject to walk through. Light is important to marry these two elements together, without it you can lose the subject in the environment. Back/side lighting can help separate a subject from the background where as bounced light from buildings offer up unusual shapes and textures and can transform an otherwise uninteresting scene.
What photographers have influenced you, and how have they influenced the way you approach your subject?
The first photographer whose work I was really drawn to was Gregory Crewdson, his photographs have a haunted yet elegant feel to them. His use of light is incredible he creates so much depth to his images and that his something I always try and replicate as it makes the image feel three dimensional as well as creating atmosphere. His photographs are busy and full of details yet your eye has no trouble finding the subject.
What exactly do you want to say with your photos, and how do you make your photos do that?
Primarily I think a good photograph doesnt necessarily have to say anything. If people enjoy my work simply because they find it pleasing to look at then I am happy. Personally i am fascinated by the sense of scale I get when I walk around London, how small I feel compared to the huge buildings and I try to capture this in my images.
What photographic gear do you use to stay focused on what you do best when shooting?
Im not the type of photographer that likes to put themselves in the scene – I like to feel completely removed – so anything that helps me feel invisible. I find that listening to music can help disconnect with distractions but not always. I think its important to warm up so I start taking photos of anything, stuff that I know I will just delete but it means that when I see something that I really like I am ready!
Any technology/software/hardware?
Shooting: (Primarily) Fuji Xpro2 with 18-135 lens
For editing; Macbook, Lightroom, BenQ calibrated monitor and a Wacom tablet
What motivates you to continue taking pictures? Is it political, intellectual or emotional?
For me it is therapeutic; It is good exercise and gets me out of the house. I enjoy the walks, if I manage to get a good photograph while Im at it then it is a bonus! Throughout my life Ive always liked collecting things; football stickers, records, DVDs – collecting photographs is the same, and yet I’ll never complete it!
