Made sometime between 2017 and 2021
Shot on: Sony Alpha A7sII, Nikon F2AS, Olympus μ-II, Minolta AF-EII, Cmeha Smena 8M
Digital, KODAK Portra 400, KODAK Tri-X 400TX
The majority of these images were made in 2019 and 2020, during the peak of my photographic output while in NYC. Over the years I've filtered out worse work from my portfolio, and am now left with an amalgamation across the multiple styles of photography I engaged with. There is a huge range in style (cityscapes, landscapes, portraits and my favorite, street photography), location (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Hudson Valley and more), and even camera used (ranging from two different Sony A7sII's, to an old "Camera of the People" from the Soviet Union). My previous portfolios separated everything stylistically and constantly purged older images and images taken further from the city, as it was meant to be a showcase for my talents for hire. I had a good setup, balancing the creative and the commercial... However, creative burnout set in strong in 2021. COVID interrupted my habits of going out to make pictures, and after graduation, when I went to go start my first proper startup, I scaled up my time commitments and stress, and scaled down my mental health. I had a nearly two year hiatus where I did not pick up my camera. What was my most creatively productive time came to an abrupt end, and the work I created was a constant reminder of this depressing change. At this point (June, 2024), my past work is no longer a spectre pushing expectations onto myself of how many times I need to go shoot, what my yield rate is from a single shoot, or how I should be better marketing myself as a photographer. Now, this has become my personal time capsule, a snapshot of life in New York City before and after COVID, through college and after graduation. A period of my life during which I was able to devote so much time and focus onto something that gave me an excuse to really explore the city around me, something that led to so many friendships, something that truly brought me joy. With my camera in hand, I was forced to constantly walk along the streets of different neighborhoods in New York, always moving to find that next shot. My memories are jogged when I look at my portfolio, reminded of the long journeys on the subway to catch the sunset over the skyline in Brooklyn, or the nonstop laps of Manhattan Chinatown to find the perfect street shot (while snacking on some steamed rice rolls). It was myself facing the world, and I was determined to make pictures of all that I saw. I hope you enjoy looking at these pictures as much as I enjoyed making them. - Matt, June 2, 2024