Monday, March 20, 2017

Stephen Matera interview - Ryan Jones


Interview with Stephen Matera


   "Combining a passion for all things outdoors with a unique creative eye, Stephen creates images for the world’s leading outdoor manufacturers and publishers. He developed his vision as a natural landscape photographer, and now applies that creative vision to active outdoor and lifestyle images."


   I’ll start with the cliche question - what inspired you to become a photographer and what was it about the process that piqued your interest?

As with many other outdoor photographers, my love for photography grew out of my love for the outdoors. Taking photos of my experiences and trips was an obvious thing to do to capture the memories, then photography took on a life of its own and soon the photography was the driving force of many of my trips.
                             

                               Adventure: Michael Hildebrand hiking through fog at sunset below Mt. Baker, Mt. Baker Wilderness, Washington
   
   At what point did photography transition from a hobby into a career for you and how did you enter the industry as a professional?

I’ve been a full-time photographer for over 13 years now and was licensing images and selling my work for years before that. I had a day job but spent pretty much all of my spare time taking photos. After a while I was getting enough work as a photographer I decided to take the leap and quit my day job.

   You do a lot of traveling, how do you manage your time in order to create work, run a business and maintain relationships?

It’s hard to do! Especially since I have two kids under 10. I decided that when I became a father that I wouldn’t be an absentee father. So I curtailed a lot of travel for a number of years, only getting out as necessary. As my kids have grown a little older, I’ve begun to travel more (I’m typing this while on a flight to California!). I still keep most of my trips fairly short (less than a week or so) but am traveling more. But when I’m home, I’m spending as much time with family as possible.

      
                   Tim Casne fly fishing on the Stillaguamish River, Central Cascades, Washington


   Everyone keeps telling me that landscape photography won’t make a career. What is your response to that statement?

Another thing that is hard to do! In the past few years, some new ways to earn money as a landscape photography have emerged. Specifically social media. Instagram has made it possible for photographers to connect with literally hundreds of thousands of followers and for photographers to use that connection to find workshop participants or buy prints. The traditional ways of earning a living as a landscape photographer have mostly gone away. Exclusively selling prints or licensing images to earn money is still possible, but much more challenging as rates have dropped dramatically and with many more people trying to sell their work, there is much more competition.

   Is photography an expressive form of art for you or more of a technical career?
How do you stand out in a field that can be under appreciated and over saturated with mediocre work?

I don’t think these two things are mutually exclusive. Photography is technical and creative at the same time. Creativity is very personal and by nature expressive. Every photo I take is a personal expression of what I find interesting and my way of sharing it.


                   Lifestyle: Gabriel Juzon practicing yoga along the Carbon River, Central Cascades, Washington

  
    I find it hard to start planning for a specific shoot, how do you go about planning and conceptualizing?

Every shoot is different. It starts with the clients needs (if there is a client) or what I want to show if it’s for my portfolio. For a client shoot, they’ll reach out to me with an idea of what they are looking to shoot. I’ll then suggest some locations based on their request. Occasionally a client will have a specific location in mind. The client will also usually have a shot list or creative brief of what they want to achieve from the shoot. Then it’s up to me to interpret that and provide the images to satisfy their needs.

   Do you ever feel self doubt or that you are stuck in a creative rut? How do you pull yourself out of it?

Yes! I don’t think it’s possible to be a creative person and not have creative lulls. Inspiration can come from anywhere and often after a creative lull, I’ll get inspired by an idea or something that I saw that I can work into my style of shooting. As for self doubt, when I am constantly putting your work out in the world to be judged, it’s impossible for me not to feel any self doubt about my work.
   
   You have a large Instagram following, how valuable do you see this platform as a working artist and where do you see it heading in the future?

As a commercial photographer, Instagram has been of limited benefit for me so far. I’ve licensed some images and sold  some prints through Instagram. But I think the value for me will be in finding potential clients for workshops.


                                        Adventure: Shawn Freyer drops off a huge cornice while snowboarding in the Mt. Baker backcountry, Mt. Baker Wilderness
                                                

If there was one thing you could go back and redo in your career, what would it be?
Finally, do you have any insider tips and tricks to help a newcomer succeed in the industry?


I would have started as a full-time photographer earlier. I chose a double career path in photography. I shoot landscapes and commercial outdoor sports and lifestyle images. This at times has been a lot to manage. As for insider information, I don’t really have any great suggestions. I’ve heard many people say that if you work hard enough and are passionate enough about what you shoot, you are guaranteed success. I don’t agree with that. But you won’t be successful if you don’t work hard and aren’t passionate about what you shoot.

Find more of Stephen Materas' work at www.materaphoto.com or check out his Instagram

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