Meet Matthew Marine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Marine.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I started my photography journey in 2016 as an outcropping of two of my other creative outlets – writing and filmmaking. I had recently published my first novel, a dark mystery called Devil’s Moon, and wanted to create a book trailer based on the first chapter. While filming this short movie, I found that I also thoroughly enjoyed creating stories through still photography. I work full time in another field and as I had no formal training in photography, I had to teach myself the tricks of the trade – mostly through YouTube tutorials and a lot of trial and error. That’s a big part of what I enjoy about photography – the challenge. I am always looking for ways to learn from every shoot.

Please tell us about your art.
My favorite thing about photography is telling a story through my pictures. This story may be big or small, but I want each of my images give the viewer an emotion or sense of being part of the story. One story I like to tell is that of opposing emotions or images – contrasting beauty and horror or good and evil. I strive to create images where the models are powerful, strong and empowered.

I am always looking for something different to challenge myself and learn from. Taking creative risks is a big part of what I do. Sometimes my ideas work, sometimes they don’t. I find that many times, the best shots are those that were not planned and were “risky” in a creative sense. Even so, my biggest criteria for a successful shoot is that it’s enjoyable for everyone. Since this is just a hobby, there is no reason to do it if it’s not fun.

Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
I believe the role of artists has changed significantly since social media has become more popular. It provides a much greater audience to most artists and they can have a big impact on those around them and society as a whole. Social media has given artists an opportunity to have a world-wide stage. Artists need to understand all the implications that go with that (some good, some bad). Many of these change like the wind, so it can be difficult to gauge. The best advice is to be true to yourself and your artwork and don’t worry about things like how many likes you’ve received on a certain photograph. One area that I feel I can make a difference in is through empowerment. I endeavor to provide a medium in which each model can express their unique personality.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can see more of my photography on my website at: http://matthewmarinephotography.zenfolio.com/

Contact Info:

• Website: http://matthewmarinephotography.zenfolio.com/
• Email: matthewmarinephotography@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinematthew/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MatthewMarinePhotography/

Image Credit:
Models: Taryn Gibson, Lindsay Saddler, Danielle Pressler, Grace Otto, Stephanie Clark, Kameryn Lee, Nicolette Young, Alexis Drysdale,

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