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As an advertising creative, Hoyle developed a strong sense of a concept and story in his work. His experience in the industry has given him an insider's edge when talking with clients; he understands their creative and strategic processes. Hoyle started taking his photography career really seriously when he won Australian Professional Photographer of the Year; after that his work began to be recognized in award shows internationally. An Altpick Awards Winner, his work has been featured in PDN Photography Annual, and he won international photographer of the year in the portrait category of last years Lucie Awards. Born in Los Angeles, Hoyle moved to Australia with his family when he was 18. Today, he divides his time between New York and Sydney, shooting both advertising and editorial for clients such as ESPN, Roche, Proctor & Gamble, Crest, 3M, Novartis, ABC TV, Chep, Abused Child Trust, Caltex (Chevron Texaco) and Skins sportswear.
Well, first I try to find striking subjects. I light them simply and always make sure there's a palette of colors or tones that work in harmony with the subject. You'd be surprised how much difference a well-stylized palette can make with an already good subject. Of course I am an advocate of Photoshop. Not to the degree where it takes over, but to the degree where I can bring out the essence of the subject or my vision of the concept. I work with tones, contrasts, dodging and burning - that's mostly it. How do you get your inspiration? From life; from things that interest me and make me curious. I get inspired by things from my childhood like circuses and freak shows, cowboys, and caricatures of people, from small town hicks to big city slickers. Things that are ordinary, I find extraordinary. The camera I feel is my ticket to satisfy my curiosity. How do you then approach a project or a shoot? With my background in advertising, I usually start by creating a theme or a concept, then I build a series based on that idea. Each time I do a series I make a concerted effort to give it a style all of its own, but all born out of the subject, concept, and feeling I'm trying to evoke. How do you get close to your subjects? Subjects are just people and I love people, so I normally spend a period of time chatting with them and getting to know them before I pick up the camera. I can't tell you how many times I've seen photographers - back when I was an advertising creative - not relate or interact with their subjects. All they would worry about was getting the layout and lighting right but not so much the connection between subject and viewer. The photographer is the first viewer so if we don't connect, no one will. How do you recognize a good image? It's definitely not a technical thing - it's something in my gut. I guess it's like working a muscle and soon you start to recognize it. Your gut tells you that maybe an idea or an approach is interesting but you don't know until you see it on paper. Your instincts begin to develop until all of a sudden you will be walking through the streets and you'll see it. I think the core is to train yourself to find interest in the things that might not be apparently so. Find the subject, the story, the angle, or the look that others walk right by, and make it totally captivating.
How would you describe your style? It's always hard to do that, and styles change, but for now I'd say it's human and character-driven portraiture, with a slight touch of hyper-reality to accentuate the essence of that person. What would be your dream assignment? To create a series on the pioneers of our entertainment culture from the early half of the 20th century. Those last few who are still alive today: The crooners, screen sirens, modern artists, jazz/blues/rock musicians, right down to the old drugstore owner, corner barbershop owner, old theater ticket taker. I would love to capture 'the originals.' Once these people go, they're gone forever. Photographing the pioneers would be my way of preserving those experiences forever. Now that the tables have turned, how does it feel to be on the other side from a creative director? Wonderful. - Contributed by Anthea Bold >> See more work from Matt Hoyle >> See other member spotlights on the member spotlight index >> Find out more on how to become an altpick.com member |
