For the Love of Panorama: Rockstar Photographer Matt Sartain
- Author: Abby Wilcox
- Posted on: Sunday March 28, 2010 at 8:00 AM
Strange fantastical characters and wide-open spaces...Such are the main highlights within Matt Sartain photography. This rockstar photographer (literally rockstar: Matt also plays guitar and sings for the folk rock band Or, the Whale) has been featured in CMYK, How Magazine, PDN, DPI Magazine and The New York Times.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MATT SARTAIN:
JT.com: What lead up to you choosing the panoramic format in your photos?
Matt: When I started the project, it seemed appropriate that all the images would be panoramic so I could illustrate all of the elements, the character, the environment, the story, everything within a single image.
The above image was the cover of CMYK magazine
JT.com: How has digital photography influenced your photography career?
Matt: Digital photography allowed me to shoot a lot more images within a production aiding in getting “the shot”. More importantly was the influence of Photoshop; this opened up everything for me. I realized after using compositing that if I could imagine it, I could execute it.
JT.com: Tell us about the name of your band Or, the Whale and how the band evolved.
Matt: The name of the band came from an original alternative title of Moby Dick. It once read Moby Dick, or The Whale. My bandmate and I both loved that book in college and we liked all the of the symbolism and themes of the book. We also at the time had 8 people in the band so it seemed like we were quite a formidable beast and therefore, it seemed appropriate at the time.
JT.com: Does music influence your photography?
Matt: The two are such huge parts of my life that they definitely inform each other. I get to see a lot of places on tour and get to shoot a lot while out there, it can be very inspiring to be on the road like that. Music and photography are both a sort of poetry, a lot is said in a small space. I hope to join the two together soon in doing some music videos that I’ve got slated for this year.
JT.com: What bands are you listening to at the moment?
Matt: My current favorites are The Moondoggies and The Maldives, both from Seattle. Also digging on Midlake, Mayer Hawthorne and Band of Annuals. Right now at this exact moment I’m listening to Jackson Browne (you caught me!).
JT.com: Who is your favorite photographer? Main influences in your work?
Matt: Not sure if I have a favorite. I respect a lot of photographers for their individual crafts. Photographers like Erwin Olaf, Olaf Veltman, Erik Almas, Nadav Kander, Robert Parke Harrison are all masters of their craft.
JT.com: Who is your favorite artist?
Matt: Someone I really enjoy right now is the team Kahn/Selesnick. Very awesome duo I would recommend them very highly!
JT.com: Is your vision changing the more you shoot?
Matt: I would say yes. I am not going for what I went for before. I think this body of work represents my first accomplishments. It’s time now to reinvent and reinvigorate my work, so in doing this the vision will grow and change.
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