Matt's FAQs

How did you get interested in photography?
    I first started with an interest in painting and drawing in high school. When I was 16 I started taking pictures with my parents' camera and I loved it. There was a moment in high school when I took one of those career aptitude tests and it got me thinking about what I really wanted to do with my life. I can remember walking home and thinking about photography and how I loved that it made me interact with the world around me. I knew a desk job just wasn’t the right fit for me. I wanted to travel. I loved wildlife. I walked in the door of my house, still immersed in my thoughts, and saw National Geographic Magazine sitting on the table with a Siberian tiger on the cover. It was my “Aha” moment. National Geographic Magazine represented everything I wanted in a job, like photography, travel, adventure, and a way to be in the natural world.

How did this influence your schooling and job aspirations?
    I graduated from high school and went on to study photojournalism and sociology at Syracuse University. While I was in college, my focus shifted more towards the human animal, how we interact with each other, and what different cultures are like around the world.

How did you get a start as a professional photographer?
    After university, I started working at a small newspaper in upstate New York and it really changed my life. When you’re working in a small newsroom, you end up doing a bit of everything- design, layout, writing, and of course, a lot of photography. I learned so much. I was lucky enough to find a mentor at the paper that helped guide me and gave me advice when needed. It was a great training ground and a great place to cut my teeth.

Did you set any specific goals when you began photographing? Have you achieved any of these? Do you have more for the future?
    One of my first goals when I was 16 or 17 was to work for National Geographic. I said to myself, “I want to be working for National Geographic by the time I’m 30”. I wanted to be at the skill level to produce images you would typically see in their magazine. I didn’t achieve that goal until I was 32, but I am happy and proud to have reached it. Now, I want to keep challenging myself to see differently and to continue to push myself to be the best photojournalist I can.

How did you get your start with National Geographic?
    Each photographer that shoots for National Geographic has a different story of his or her journey of getting to the magazine so there is no blueprint on how to shoot for National Geographic. The one thing I do know is every single one of them has devoted his or her life to photography, the subjects, and improving as a visual communicator. My advice is this: don’t focus on the specific details of how a photographer started working for National Geographic. Focus on improving your own photography and storytelling skills. This isn’t a job; it’s a calling. If you follow your passion the rest will sort itself out.
    Specifically though, my personal journey has a few starting points. While living in Egypt, I began documenting child labor. On a trip back to the U.S. in 2000, I met with an editor at National Geographic and pitched the story. The editor was complimentary of my work, but didn’t think I was ready. Typically, National Geographic watches photographers for at least ten years before giving them an assignment.
    I moved back to the U.S. and eventually ended up in New York City, but I wasn’t fulfilled by the work I was doing there. The Iraq War started and I felt compelled to document it. I maxed out my credit cards, bought body armor online, and flew to Jordan with a photographer friend. We arrived in Baghdad six days after it fell to U.S. forces. We didn’t have any assignments, but there was plenty to shoot. After a month, I started working with the New York Times out of their Baghdad bureau. While shooting for The Times I did a story on the looting of Iraq’s archaeological sites and took photos of looting while it was happening. The images got great play and made the cover of the paper. At the time, National Geographic was putting together a story on the looting and saw my images. They contacted me and ended up purchasing three of the images. After a meeting in Washington, D.C., the editor asked me to go back and photograph the Shia of Iraq. It was my first official assignment for National Geographic.

What equipment do you use?
    I shoot with Nikon cameras and lenses. I first started with Nikon film cameras, but now I shoot digital. I also use Macintosh computers for all editing work. To see a more detailed list, click on the “Gear” link.

What is the best camera for me to buy?
    This is like asking somebody “what kind of car should I buy?” Ask yourself the question: what am I going to use it for and how much money do I want to spend? A pickup truck might be great for hauling stuff, but a Prius might be better for going long distances. I have seen wonderful photographs- even ones that were published in National Geographic Magazine- that were taken with a point-and-shoot camera. In the end, the camera is just a box that lets light into it. The most important thing is what the photographer does with it.

Is there any equipment- besides your camera- that you find valuable?
    Gaffers tape. The stuff is amazing. You can fix a lens, tape a camera to an airplane wing, use it as a bandage, or even hold your pants up with it if you have to.
    A notebook and pen is essential if someone wants to be a good photojournalist. I am a visual journalist, so asking questions and taking notes helps inform my story coverage.
    Of course, there are the essentials, like a mosquito net and plenty of Pepto-Bismol.

How much do you use Photoshop?
    Photoshop, in my work, is an essential tool, just like a dark room would be if I were shooting on film. As a photojournalist I only use Photoshop to do very simple adjustments. As a general rule, I will only use Photoshop to represent what I actually saw when I took the photograph. This means I will adjust color and contrast to get the image to match what the scene actually looked like. I will use Photoshop to remove dust that was on my lens and to do burning and dodging. The idea is to use Photoshop in exactly the same way I would have used a darkroom. I do not set up photos and pass them off as real moments and I don’t use Photoshop to change what was really there.

How do you handle the crazy work schedule and environmental factors of working in the field?
    I do a ton of research before going on assignment. Of course, I research the story because I have to know as much as possible when I get into the field, but I also research weather, dangers, environmental issues, and medications to bring. Mostly, I make sure to research anything and everything so I am able to do my job. It is really important to do as much research as possible but then stay really flexible in the field.

What is your relationship like with the writer of the assignment you’re shooting?
    I collaborate with the writer. We’re not joined at the hip. We can be in the field at different times or at the same time, but in different locations. We stay in touch, sharing notes and comparing experiences so we make sure to connect all the dots and tell a comprehensive story.

Do you have any favorite locations or assignments?
    I think of it kind of like children or pets- you can’t pick one. They all hold a special place in my heart. The story on the Shia of Iraq is special because it was my first story for National Geographic and it was an important story to tell. It was a difficult story and was dangerous to shoot. I’m exceedingly proud of that work. The story of the Sinai in Egypt is also one of my favorites. I first proposed the story to National Geographic in 2000 and was denied. I proposed it again in 2007 and was given the green light, so it was great to have them finally say yes. Also, I proposed to my wife while on assignment there so that’s pretty special. It’s even more special since she said yes!

Do you have one specific subject that you love to shoot?
    I love to shoot people and cultures. I’ve spent a great deal of time in the Middle East, and I speak some Arabic, so I really enjoy working there.

What do you look for when mentoring a student?
    I look for a personal vision and a unique photographic voice. Fundamentally, the most important thing, though, is openness to learning and curiosity towards life. Without these, someone should look into another profession.

How do you feel about the transition within the field of photojournalism?
    Many old standards like magazines and newspapers are dedicating less page space to photojournalism. It’s much more difficult to survive as a photojournalist. Less people are hiring. It’s in part due to the movement of print to a web-based platform and pay structure changes. Journalism is in the midst of a huge transition.
    This evolution is offering significant opportunities for photographers to have their work seen, though. They’re setting up personal websites and blogs that allow them to have an audience where they wouldn’t have before. The problem is that there are fewer publications paying for in-depth photojournalism. So although a photographer can get his or her work seen more easily, it’s much more difficult to make a living while doing it.

How do you feel about the shift to digital photography?
    These days everybody is a photographer. The mass availability of picture phones and digital cameras is exciting, but it has muddied the waters for professional photographers. It has made people think that anyone can take a photograph. Here’s the thing, though. You take a snapshot; it is mindless. Yet, you make a photograph. A snapshot requires very little thought and has very little of the photographer’s voice within it. However, when you make a photograph you must make decisions and consider composition, color palette, and the moment. “Make” doesn’t mean you set stuff up, it means you choose the angle, composition, and a million other factors when documenting a scene. 

What are some of your biggest challenges being a professional freelance photographer?
    I try not to let all the other work involved with running my own business get in the way of my passion to make pictures and tell stories.

How do you typically spend your day, on and off assignment?
    When I’m on assignment, I’m up before daybreak. I shoot all morning until the light gets harsh and then I’ll take time to research locations, talk to subjects, or travel to another locale. I’ll continue shooting into the evening and even the night if need be. When I’m finally done shooting, I’ll download my images, add captions and info, and save them. It is a ton of work and makes for really long days. We don’t sleep much on assignment and I’ll often spend several weeks in the field without a break. It is hard work.
    Off assignment, I spend a great deal of time prepping images for submissions. I deal with budgets, receipt management, invoicing, and other business matters. A lot of time is spent researching my next assignment or writing story proposals.