Readers’ Showcase: Scott Matthews
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Astoria Station Sunrise, 2013. Photo by Scott Matthews
DPR reader Scott Matthews is an early riser, which is a lucky thing to be if you also have access to sweeping views of the New York skyline. He captures the colors of sunrise, sunset and the night lights of the city all using adapted manual focus lenses with his mirrorless camera body. Find out why he prefers this combination and see a selection of his work.
See more of his portfolio on his website. Would you like to be featured in an upcoming Readers’ Showcase? Let us know! Be sure to include your DPR user name and a link to your online portfolio.
Readers’ Showcase: Scott Matthews
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When You Get Caught Between the Moon and New York City, 2015. Photo by Scott Matthews
Where are you from, and what’s your history with photography?
I live in New York City, became a dad in 2004. When my daughter was about three or four, my mother gave me my first digital point-and-shoot. Her agenda was clear: send more photos of her first grandchild! But I never got the hang of the thing, and didn’t use it much. Then in 2010 we were on a family vacation, and I decided to share photos from our trip while we were still on the road. Something about sharing in near-real-time made it click for me. But just as I was starting to get into it, the New Mexico dust totally jammed up my camera. I then decided I would research and purchase a replacement. I settled on a Sony NEX 5, because the mirrorless concept appealed to me.
Now I’d describe myself as something between avid amateur and semi-professional. I’ve had a travel set published in the New York Times, and I’m a regular contributor to a few local NYC papers. I’ve also had a few covers of Contexts magazine and I’ve sold several prints, the largest being a 60″x40″ that was produced for me by Duggal Visual Solutions here in NYC.
Readers’ Showcase: Scott Matthews
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Reflected Sunrise, 2016. Photo by Scott Matthews
What do you shoot with?
I shoot with a Sony A7 II and I currently use four adapted manual-focus lenses: an M-mount Voigtlander 35mm F1.2, an M-mount Leica Elmarit 90mm F2.8, an M-mount Voigtlander 21mm F1.8, and an R-mount Leica Telyt 180mm F3.4 (all except the 35mm were purchased used). Of them, I use the 35mm and 90mm the most.
The first manual I purchased was the Voigtlander 35mm, when I was still using an NEX (APS-C). My thinking was: “I really want to try working with a fast manual prime, this one would give me a roughly 50mm field-of-view on the NEX, and if Sony ever comes out with a full-frame camera, I’ll still be able to use it.” If the question is really about what I use to ‘make’ my photos, I also certainly consider Lightroom to be an important part of my photo-making process.
Readers’ Showcase: Scott Matthews
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Dusk on the Upper West Side, 2016. Photo by Scott Matthews
What do you like about using adapted lenses and manually focusing?
There is actually quite a lot I like about my decision to use adapted manual lenses.
First, I find manual focus makes it more natural for me to remain in charge of what I’m actually focusing on — rather than letting the camera do it, and then having to decide, “no, camera, you chose wrong, and now I must override your decision.” I suppose it’s similar to how the people talk about prime lenses make you think more. Manual focus just makes it easier (for me) to think more. There are certain kinds of shots I’m more likely to miss, and other types of shots I’m more likely to catch — as I see it, the tradeoff results in photos that have a bit more of my spirit in them.
I also like the ‘immediate, physically coupled’ feeling of a metal and glass lens that was designed to be focused manually. (By comparison, focus-by-wire — common on E-mount — always felt kind of detached and delayed to me). I also like the compact size of the rangefinder lenses. With the combination of a mirrorless back and an adapted rangefinder lens, people don’t feel intimidated in the way they might with a honking big camera and lens pointing at them.
I also like the long-term trajectory of my “lens-centered” rather than “camera-system-centered” orientation. By that I mean: if other manufacturers wind up offering bodies, I’m perfectly open to using my adapted lenses on other systems. All I would need is a new adapter. And if I ever do switch to a different system, I can keep on working with the same lenses I’ve grown accustomed to.
Readers’ Showcase: Scott Matthews
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Frederick Douglass Housing Project at Night, 2014. Photo by Scott Matthews
What’s your favorite focal length?
I tend to go out with one lens, so I’ll just pick whichever seems it’ll be the most useful for wherever I’ll happen to be. I don’t really have a favorite length; it really boils do to where I happen to be, and where my subject happens to be. Of the lenses I have, I use the 35mm and 90mm the most.
Readers’ Showcase: Scott Matthews
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Gotham Sunrise, 2015. Photo by Scott Matthews
Most of the images in your portfolio are taken close to home. What makes New York so photogenic in your opinion?
I wake up early — too early! — and my view is to the east. So part of my regular morning routine is to look out to see if it’s an *interesting* morning. For that reason, I’ve come to understand which mornings are special. I’ve also started to recognize the rhythm of the Sun rising increasingly northward or southward as the seasons progress (for example, I know that the Sun rises aligned with the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in mid-May and late-July every year, as seen from my apartment). I’ve also seen all sorts of random unexpected rooftop activity, from a kind kiss to a game of badminton.
Readers’ Showcase: Scott Matthews
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Star Trails with LaGuardia Airport, 2015. Photo by Scott Matthews
Is there anywhere you’d like to travel to photograph?
I had the opportunity to provide photos from a trip to Costa Rica for publication in the New York Times. The complication was that I was anxious the whole trip about whether I would capture decent-enough photos! I think I mostly enjoy the challenge of ‘noticing things’ wherever I happen to be, and in some ways it’s actually *harder* to notice meaningful things when you’re in a breathtaking new place.
Readers’ Showcase: Scott Matthews
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Striated Sunrise, 2015. Photo by Scott Matthews
What’s the best piece of advice you received when you were a beginner?
The DPReview forums have been tremendously helpful in getting me up to speed, and I continue to learn here every day.
In the very beginning it was useful to understand the relationship between shutter speed, aperture, ISO — and how they relate to focal length/field-of-view. It was also super-useful to start shooting RAW (I initially wrongly thought RAW was simply like an uncompressed JPG) — and to use an application to manage and batch process photos (I wound up using Lightroom).
Also, as much as there is to learn from more-experienced people, you also have to trust your own instinct — sometimes your instinct will be at odds with what other people are telling you. Some established ‘rules’ are there for good reason, but plenty of great work comes from setting aside established rules. Ultimately, trust your gut.
Readers’ Showcase: Scott Matthews
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Stepped Nighttime Long Exposure, 2013. Photo by Scott Matthews
Are there any photo projects or challenges you’re looking to tackle in the new year?
I’m going to keep waking up way too early — so one challenge I face is how to keep the routine of looking out the same windows day-after-day interesting. For example, recently I’ve become interested in reflected light. So one challenge will be to keep finding something new and special within the mundane.
Another thing I think about: apart from the pleasure I get from making and sharing photos, what is the long-term point of all this effort? What happens to all this work? Can it remain useful? So I also want to get a bit closer to having a plan — perhaps simply making a box of prints for my daughter — or perhaps finding local institutions to submit photos to. Overall, to keep having fun!
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)