An interview with Matt Weber

Copy right - Matt Weber 

RH: tell us about yourself.

MW: I was born in NYC 1958 and studied oil painting with Nicolai Abracheff who was one of Picasso’s contemporaries and a noted cubist as well. Went to Music & Art high school but unfortunately dropped out to pursue “art” on New York’s subways. I am completely self-taught
in photography, although I did use all three of the books written by Ansel Adams (The Print, The Negative and The Camera) I recommend these books to anyone interested in learning photography.

I started taking photos of the NYC streets while I was driving a Yellow cab back in ’84 The things I had been seeing late at night were so intense that I found myself always saying to myself “I’ve got to get a camera!”

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Planning

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

MW: I don’t have any new projects. I just shoot New York City. The projects sometimes reveal themselves when I notice I have been shooting a particular subject over and over again.

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

MW: There is no planning. I just shoot every day, whatever I see. 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

MW: Yes. I wish I had shot a lot more back in the 80s and 90s.

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Implementation and Completion

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

MW: The biggest challenge was switching to digital as I had to learn many different facets of this new media including Photoshop and other programs.

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish? 

MW: In 2003, I started two “projects”. I started shooting Coney Island and the NYC Subway system. The two projects remain ongoing and will probably continue until I die.

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Editing and Sequencing

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

MW: I always look for the best image out of a sequence.

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

MW: In 2013, I switched from Black & White to Color photography. My approach has remained the same.

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Tips and hints 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

MW: Pick something you enjoy photographing otherwise it will feel like work.

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

MW: No. 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

MW: Figments from the New World by Garry Winogrand. 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

MW: No. It’s all about trial and error. Mistakes are the best teacher as you will hate making them, and become better as you learn to avoid repeating them…

website: http://mattweberphotos.com

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Copy right - Matt Weber 

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Copy right - Matt Weber