The Way Matt Sees It

Last year I challenged myself personally to create a calendar of pictures I took of New York City with my Pentax camera. The trick was that it couldn’t be made of photos taken with my iPhone. I love taking pictures of the city and so this was my way of doing something with it. These are the list of photos that I’m including for the 2019 calendar.   Below each photo is a brief commentary on what went on behind the lens, or what may have been the inspiration for each photo. Last year’s 2018 calendar (made up of pictures I took in 2017 with my Pentax) was primarily all of my favorite iconic shots of New York. This year, instead of taking those same types of photos over again (which I am likely to do, I can’t get enough of them), I wanted to continue to push myself to take a different type of photography. I wanted to take pictures that weren’t necessarily the traditional image, but were still clearly New York . COVER IMAGE – Downtown NYC from the Staten Island...

I’ve come to love NYC Photography. I enjoy the medium, but just like with spray paint art, when I see it I just feel inside like I want to go out and take that picture myself. As a challenge for myself last year I created a calendar of pictures I took only with my Pentax camera (not my iPhone) and it was so much fun. I wanted to take pictures of all my favorite places, and try to get the most iconic version of that shot as I could. Below is a commentary on each image, what happened behind the lens or what may have been the inspiration for that photo. Each of these were taken in 2017 with my Pentax and made it into the 2018 calendar. COVER IMAGE – Freedom Tower from the Brooklyn Bridge The Freedom Tower is an identifiable landmark from miles away, and it establishes clearly where you are. Anyone looking at the Freedom Tower (officially known as One World Trade Center) knows instantly that it’s New York. It unintentionally became the centerpiece of this calend...

This world needs a solution.   Everyone knows it.   But no one agrees on what that solution is. One week ago (Saturday, 03/25/18), thousands across New Jersey and millions across the nation rallied together for the end of gun violence this past Saturday.   Inspired by the tragic events that happened in Florida just weeks ago, they pushed for our state to make NJ gun laws, which are among the toughest in the country, even tougher in an effort to end school gun violence once and for all.   Two days later, hundreds of gun rights activists held a demonstration of their own in NJ’s capital.   They argued that it’s not guns, but there are other things that contribute to gun violence.  This world needs a solution, but we can’t agree on what that solution is.   The thing is, this isn’t a new idea.   People have gathered together for change because they recognized that our world is broken all throughout history. Take the Civil Rig...