Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Guzzetti.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started photography with an intro college course, focusing on digital cameras. I quickly fell in love with the artform, and I’ve always been a people watcher, so I decided to combine the two and start producing work on the streets of Salt Lake City and Ogden.
I’ve been photographing now for a year, so I’m still extremely new to the craft, but by far my favorite medium has been 35mm black-and-white film. The lack of color and digital sharpness forces me to create stronger images that don’t rely on realism.
Gear-wise, I use a Nikon FM2n with a 28mm lens. 28mm is a wide-angle lens, and it inspires me to incorporate multiple subjects and ideas into one photo. I shoot Ilford and Kentmere 400 film.
I hope someday to publish a book about life in Utah and continue to study the human experience with my camera!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For a long time, I struggled with a real lack of purpose and motivation. The state of the world and the struggles I witness pull me down as well.
I found that the best way to confront and overcome my own challenges and the misery of the world is to document it.
At the end of the day, you have to keep at your craft, no matter what. If you feel you have found a purpose or potential project, that idea deserves to be realized.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am very invested in current political and human issues, and there is constantly a commentary in my photos about those issues. Whether subtle or direct, I vent my frustrations, wonderings, and ideas into my photos.
I think what sets me apart is the way I create. I don’t have a studio. I go out into the world and photograph what makes me feel. Later, I put images together in series and various edits, with the mindset of an artist.
I generally prefer for my images to generate vague and implied ideas and emotions. I want the viewers to make their own specific, personal, and involved relationship with my pictures.
How do you define success?
Success for me is similar to scratching an itch. If I’ve resolved a conflict in my mind or in someone else’s with my images, I’ve succeeded. If I explore an idea completely and exhaust my interest in that idea with my pictures, then I’ve succeeded.
It’s extremely important that I don’t base my success on others’ validation. Especially because I am not a well-known photographer, my success must come from within.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tzeleste/
