MATTHEW SCHWARTZ, FINE ART NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER

I create fine art images of nature subjects. Every image is produced to extremely high standards, and every single detail matters. Approximately 0.003% of the photographs I take are ever turned into a finished piece.

The most important aspect of my work is that it must be as simple and clean as possible. I do whatever I can to avoid anything which could detract from the subject, such as background branches, unappealing out-of-focus areas, and extraneous elements. Except in rare cases, I do not include man-made objects in my images.

My wildlife images are captured at the subject’s eye level. In addition to creating a more artistic image, this has the benefit of creating a more powerful and emotional connection to the animal. Not only do I want to be in the subject’s world while photographing it, but I also want to bring the viewer of the image into that world.

It’s critical for every image to be technically excellent, because I want to best represent the details and beauty of the subject. I can achieve this because I’ve spent thousands of hours learning and practicing photography, and perfecting my techniques. With that foundation of knowledge and skill, I can get the full potential out of expensive, high-quality equipment.

I love nature, and enjoy being out in it when capturing photographs. However, it is not my main goal to have fun or enjoy myself. My ultimate goal is to create the finished piece of art. Therefore, I will do whatever I need to do, even if it means being uncomfortable or in pain. I often carry a large amount of heavy equipment, crawl on the ground or in water, wear camouflage, and do elaborate set ups. To put it simply, I go to extremes to create my art.

Although I go to great lengths to capture the best possible image I can in the field, sometimes I need to modify things in Photoshop to create the finished image according to my standards and vision. Manipulating nature images brings up ethical issues, and is frowned upon by many people. However, I am not a documentary photographer, I am an artist. Additionally, when I make significant edits to a photograph, in most cases I disclose them in the description of the image when sharing online.

The primary reason why I create my images is because it’s extremely satisfying and fulfilling to view the final work. The visual beauty of nature, and how it is shown in my images, is pleasing to me. Of course, as an artist, I also enjoy sharing my work with others, and hope they find it to be a positive experience.

To learn more about the elements of my photography style, please view this page on my content website.

To learn more about my philosophy and approach to creating images, please view this page on my content website.

To contact me, please use the contact form on my content website.

To find me and my latest work on social media, please use the icons in the footer of this website.