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Featured New Artist: Matt Williams

By Joe Klementovich October 03, 2008

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“I strive to create images that speak to what my subjects and even I am feeling in the moments that unfold in front of me.” Matt Williams describes his approach to photography as purely documentary. “I strive to immerse myself into the emotional parts of people’s lives as well as the larger experiences and issues they are going through, in an attempt to show a fresh perspective.”

In December 2007, Matt graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in visual-journalism from Brooks Institute of Photography. “I have always been interested in photography in some capacity, but didn’t really begin to consider it as a career until my early 20’s.” When asked to explain more about his beginnings he states “I started out photographing my friends and the natural beauty of the mountains of Wyoming while on rock climbing and kayaking trips. I also worked in a photo lab in my spare time between classes.”

Matt gains inspiration by, “immersing myself in long term work that is socially relevant and has an ability to shed light on important issues from new angles.” He goes on to explain “Through my photographs, the most important part, to me, is to illustrate the story visually, and enlighten my viewers by connecting with them in a very intimate and emotional way.”

The images selected for the slides are from a collection of projects from the past three years.  The exploration of the AIDS situation in Thailand, Matt describes “This experience was fairly early on in my photographic education and definitely shaped who I am today and the type of stories I choose to pursue.” Matt goes on to explain, “I have also included several images from the funeral of an American soldier, as well as several others that represent my style and passion as a storyteller.  In the images of the funeral, I made a stylistic choice by using a Tilt-Shift lens because I thought that it could best capture the solitude and emotion of my subjects. Throughout all of these images, I have tried to present the viewer with a multidimensional representation evoking the same emotion the subjects were feeling - whether it be a moment of loneliness, fear, solitude, or joy.”

Web: www.MatthewWilliamsPhotography.com

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