Join us here on ALC for Women With Cameras on Wednesdays, where Dorie Hagler will be highlighting the thoughts and experiences of a professional female photographer or filmmaker. Her goal is to share great work by great professionals who are not yet in the limelight. This week, she spoke with portrait and event photographer Randy Matusow, on her recent work.
Randy Matisow’s fascination with cameras and technology began at age 12, and was responsible for her graduation from Rhode Island School of Design, her job as a photo researcher at Magnum Photos, and her long career as professor of photography at City College and Manhattanville College.
As Randy puts it, “It is my passport to travel, my excuse to stare and a means of providing others with great memories.”
As a freelance photographer, she has worked for numerous magazines including Esquire, Forbes, Fortune, and The New York Times. Her work appears in the permanent collections of the Brooklyn Museum, The Museum of the City of New York and the Museum of Contemporary Photography, in Chicago.
Q: If you could only bring three pieces of equipment with you on a photo shoot, what would you bring?
A: Nikon D810 , 28 – 70 2.8 continuous lens, SB-5000 Speedlight
Q: As photographers, we all get that “got it” feeling when we get the shot we are after. What needs to be present in an image for you to get that feeling or know you nailed it.
A: Early morning or late afternoon light is an important but not wholly necessary ingredient for the “got it” moment; however it does fire up my senses. The real “GOT IT!” feeling comes when all the stars line up. Often it’s a situation I’ve been photographing for a while, moving around the subject, intuitively sensing a good photograph can be made here, but I haven’t seen it yet. I try to hang around, my left eye glued to the viewfinder, my right eye peeking out from behind the camera in anticipation of something about to happen. Maybe the sun will come out from behind a cloud, casting a mysterious shadow across a face, or someone gracefully steps into the frame, filling an empty space, or a person aware of being photographed expresses a nuanced glance of self-reflection. I’m often not aware of what happens but something triggers my adrenaline, and that rush cues me to press the shutter release button giving me that great feeling of I GOT IT!
Q: How do you balance your personal work with your client work? What percentage of your work is what you are passionate about and what percentage is produced to pay your bills?
A: The only time I’m not passionate about taking pictures is when it’s a “selfie.” I estimate 75% of my picture taking time is for paid jobs, which consists of portraits, events, and architectural interiors. No matter what the job is I always find something I get excited about shooting. I enjoy the challenge of trying to understand my client’s ideas and being able to make them come to life through my personal vision. By making every job personal I know my referral base will be from clients who enjoy my style.
The series entitled Party Faves, shown here, is an example of my professional work becoming a personal project. This series of pictures are edited from Bar & Bat Mitzvahs that I have photographed over a period of 10 years. In this edit I present vignettes about adolescents, sexuality, privilege and identity as seen through my personal lens.
I carry the Fujifilm X100F on me at all times so that I am always prepared for a visit from a muse. When I’m on the streets of NYC I am a hunter, looking for moments of irony, humor, or humanity. I am also an avid traveler, and use my camera as a passport to venture off the beaten path in search for a deeper understanding of the land and/or people on my journey. I consider myself a visual storyteller; the camera is my typewriter.
Q: If you didn’t have to worry about earning a living, what type of work would you do?
A: I would be a photographer, but I might pursue a different course. I have a few documentary photo project ideas that require research, time, and travel. I don’t have the time or money to follow up with them right now but they are always on the back burner of my mind. I would also travel more and for longer periods of time. I would continue teaching photography because I am rejuvenated by my students and rewarded when they tell me they look at things a little different after taking my class. I also hope to publish a book of a collection of my work. This is a personal goal that I have no expectations of receiving any financial profit from.
Q: I often feel that I keep making photographs because I don’t know how not to. Why do you keep making photographs/films?
A: I take pictures as a way of asking questions and looking for answers. Sometimes having a camera is my excuse to stop and smell the roses. I keep taking pictures because they are the breadcrumbs marking my life’s journey.
Q: There are many obstacles and gatekeepers that present challenges to getting my work seen. But I know my worst gatekeeper has been me – I had to learn how to get out of my own way. What has been your greatest obstacle and how did you overcome it?
A: Being shy keeps me from showing work, however I have recently found Instagram (@randymatusowphoto) to be an easy and fun platform to toss images into the world. The immediate response from people is encouraging and by posting frequently I am able to let go of the idea that every image has to be perfect, which only serves to undermine the creative process and stifle visual thinking.
Not only am I enjoying this platform as a means of widening my audience, but I am also finding a community of talented photographers and editors.
Another obstacle I face is confidence, and particularly when it comes to raising my fees, it has taken me a while to realize that my experience and skills have a monetary value, and people recognize that and are willing to pay for it. I think this is a problem women grapple with more than men.
Q: What is your dream assignment/project?
A: I’d love to work for an NGO, especially one that can pay. I am particularly interested in showing health care needs in small rural communities, both in the United States and outside of this country. I guess one dream would be to work for the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, documenting the work they do and using those photographs to help educate the need for community based health care.
