Emerging Talent: Matt Zugale
Matt, a 34 year old Brooklyn based photographer, is our latest emerging talent.
Raised in New Jersey and educated at Drexel University in Philadelphia, he has been out of the ‘burbs for at least as long as he was a part of them. These environments helped build the aesthetic of his work. He works hard, everyday. If he’s on the way to a shoot or on his way home, he will take that time to photograph life on the street. Matt takes work seriously, but he believes that there is room for thoughtfulness and fun in every job. He defines photography as “direct and immersive”, allowing him to tell stories and to get closer to people and the world we live in.
How would you define your style?
I create portrait and lifestyle images that are immersed in the moment, direct, and engaging.
How did you start shooting?
Like many photographers, I was given a camera when I was around 14 or 15. It was my Dad’s Pentax Spotmatic and at first, I used chrome film, later black and white in school. I started by walking around my hometown in New Jersey photographing literally anything that caught my eye; trash balled up in the scrubby grass next to a baseball field, freight trains, a junkyard near the bowling alley I worked at, friends trespassing in the woods near sundown.
Who has inspired your style?
I initially saw myself becoming a photojournalist. I devoured “Life” and “Time” magazine compilation books that I got at garage sales, the work of W. Eugene Smith and others. While at Drexel University I learned about Robert Frank, Walker Evans, Garry Winogrand, Mary Ellen Mark, Dian Arbus, Lee Friedlander, William Eggleston, Stephen Shore, too many, really, to list. These are some of the “famous” photographers that have influenced me, but I learned just as much if not more from everyone that I worked for and with as an assistant, most importantly Walter Smith.
From him I learned that style is something you develop and change over time, but the humanity and compassion you bring to your work must always be there. It is the most important thing you have. Also, having a sense of humor doesn’t hurt!
Recent Work to Note:
I have recently worked on social media advertising campaigns, through Code + Theory in New York, for both Burger King and Snapple. I’ve worked on view books for both the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and the German-town Friends School through The Heads of State in Philadelphia.
To see more of Matt Zugale’s work, check out his Instagram and website!