We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matt Oliver a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Matt, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

The iPhone is really what got me excited about photography. I had owned cameras before that, but never liked the process of either shooting on film and having to wait for developing, or shooting digital and having to transfer to a computer. iPhone photography gave me the satisfaction of an instant feedback loop. I could have an idea for a shot, shoot it, edit it, and see the final product immediately. That made me excited to try finding weird angles and reflections, and just delete the ideas that turned out to be duds.
I practiced a lot and finally did a small gallery show in NYC with the photos I had shot on my phone.
I called the show YES I HAVE A REAL CAMERA.
With the proceeds from that show, I actually bought a “real” camera (the Leica Q) and have been excited about shooting since.

Matt, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Since I’m self taught, my style and work has evolved in a very casual way. I mostly shoot street style photos for lifestyle brands. I realize that can sound a little vague. Basically, I shoot alone usually in natural light at some outdoor setting with a person wearing or using the product for the brand that I’m working with. It’s essentially the same thing. I did back when I was just getting started on the iPhone, walking around a neighborhood with a friend and taking photos along the way. Now I’m doing the same thing (but with a bigger camera) and the client is the sunglasses they’re wearing or the coffee they’re drinking.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I like that they exist. I own a few. I have friends who are doing really great stuff with NFT art (check out Claire Salvo!)

I have an NFT photo collection which has been wildly unsuccessful haha.

https://foundation.app/collection/ave

But I still believe it’s the way art will be owned and traded in the future.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I don’t have any crazy big goals for this… I just enjoy taking casual photos of people in everyday settings. And I want to find more brands who are looking for my style.

Contact Info:

• Website: Mattoliver.net
• Instagram: @mattoliver
• Twitter: @mattoliver

Image Credits
Matt Oliver