Getting an
interview out of a strong, silent type who happens to be an observer by trade
is tricky. But I brought my journalistic skills to the table, along with a
couple of beers, and sat down with portrait/music/skateboard photographer Matt
McGinley. I’ve always liked his work because of the grittiness in his
photographs that comes across without pretension or making the viewer feel like
he or she’s watching snuff on a Super 8. His work strikes me as achieving the
right balance of ethereal madness and the weight of something solid.
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| ©McGinley Robstock |
Characterize
your aesthetic:
I like to
portray people the way they are naturally. I’m not trying to project fantasy on
a person. I don’t try to make someone into someone he or she isn’t already. But
we all see differently so my view of a person will always be different from
yours or their own.
People
always have an idea about how they look. Do they see themselves as they are in
reality, or is there no such thing as an objective portrait?
People
still see themselves the way they want to, and everyone takes something
different away from a photograph.
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| ©McGinley McNett |
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| ©McGinley Rittz |
What
advice do you give people who are being photographed?
Relax in
general. Don’t worry about doing something with your hands.
I like
shooting real people, catching in-between moments, when they forget about me,
when they’re not trying. Models have poses; they know what they’re doing.
How do
you get what you want out of a subject?
I’m
relentless. I shoot until they give up. I rather not set up a shot; I like to
let things happen.
What’s
your ideal place to shoot?
I like
natural light. Overcast days are great. I fell more free shooting in
daylight. I do studio work where I
use lights, which I enjoy as well, but I like daylight best.
How do
you put together a portfolio?
It’s a
total nightmare. I’ll put a portfolio together mostly after the fact. I’ll
shoot what I want without a portfolio in mind. Then I’ll have 200 photos taped
on my wall. It drives me crazy.
If you
weren’t a photographer, you’d be …
That’s a
good question. I haven’t ever done anything that doesn’t involve a camera.
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| ©McGinley Freddie Gibbs |
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| ©McGinley Roxy |
What are
you working on now?
I’ve been
shooting a lot of music artists – a project I’ve been working on in Huntsville,
Alabama, where I’m documenting the hip-hop scene. I shoot a lot of up-and-coming
artists as they’re evolving. I like shooting hip-hop because they have drive to
promote themselves and personality, a hunger which comes through in the photos,
some musicians hate being photographed and shy away from cameras. I regularly
shoot guests on Ballers Eve Radio. I like
shooting people in their studios or homes. I think it says a lot about a person
by what they surround themselves with.
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| ©McGinley Bentley |
Anything
else you’d like to add?
Nope. I
never told you this was going to be easy.
Will you
photograph me?
Sure. You
bought the beers.
Check out
Matt’s work here.
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