Rising Stars: Meet Matt Jones

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Jones.

Hi Matt, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Most people outside of my industry don’t know who I am so it takes a little explaining!

I’m a photographer and cinematographer within the cycling industry with a focus on high-end imagery and video. I’ve been lucky enough to establish myself in this space by working with incredibly high-caliber athletes, including countless Olympians, World Champions, and influencers. Every day I wake up and need to pinch myself because of the opportunities that I have been given.

I got into this niche as a young athlete racing mountain bikes for Appalachian State University. Before my time there I was interested in photography but didn’t know what I’d like to shoot specifically. During my senior year in high school, I shattered my ankle and in my time off the bike, I began shooting photos for local races and realized that I liked that nearly as much as the racing itself.

After moving to North Carolina for school, I was exposed to higher-level racing than I had seen before, and soon enough I was making friends in the industry and realizing that I had some talent that I needed to pursue. Flash forward a fair number of years, and now I take photos of all things bike-related full-time. It really is a dream.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think many people know this, but I never owned a professional camera of my own until just last summer!

Prior to that, I had to rent or borrow cameras from friends all through college and only managed to pull it together enough to buy one of my own years into my journey. I remember the first years of pulling up to shoots with rental cameras I’d never even tried before and learning their intricacies as I was shooting, which at the time was incredibly stressful, but taught me a lot about managing emotions under pressure, being flexible, and only worrying about the things that you can control.

The biggest lesson for me was that if you really want something bad enough, you have to be willing to consistently be uncomfortable. If I let that fear of not having good enough equipment or funds get in my way I would not be here doing what I do now.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I would say I’m most known for instilling a sense of movement, emotion, and place into all of my work. Frequently in sports, I see photographers focus strictly on capturing an athlete doing something cool, but often miss things like how the environment around the athlete frames them, and how speed and perceived motion can be immersive for the viewer.

That being said, I respect that my style isn’t for everyone. I have massive respect for photographers who can fire off objectively perfect images time and time again, but that approach simply isn’t for me.

I’m not concerned with perfect images. I enjoy blur, grain, grit, and rough lighting. To me, these things feel more real and engaging. Because at the end of the day, bike racing and riding in all forms is a gritty and uncomfortable endeavor. If my photos aren’t perfect that’s fine by me because I believe that more truly reflect the nature of the sport.

Additionally, I’m incredibly proud of how I am able to coax true emotions out of athletes on set, whether that be their own pride for their accomplishments or the anguish of defeat. I don’t care about nicely staged emotions and perfectly lit portraits necessarily. I want the real emotions because even the highest caliber athletes are just human and if those true emotions come through a photograph then the viewer can better relate to them.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I think one of the biggest things I’ve learned as a freelancer is that you can have all the talent in the world, but if you’re not actively refining your sense of business and business skills then you simply have no shot.

There are many photographers out there who survive simply off of pure business savvy while genuinely incredible photographers flounder. Find the balance. Hone your craft, and discover your style, but always be thinking about how to appeal to your desired market, and do your best to put yourself in front of the right people, not simply the most.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mattjonesphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtjphoto/?hl=en
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-jones-photo