Who?
My name is Matt Gomes and I am a photographer, father, and musician from San Jose, California. I was born in the Bay Area and I have lived in various parts of it for my entire life.
What?
Anything and everything, really. I take a pretty personal approach to my photography so there are lots of photos of my family and friends as well as lots of weird stuff I see when I go walking around my city. I wouldn’t necessarily call it “street photography” per se, but I suppose there are a lot of elements of street photography in what I do. It’s completely subconscious for me. I just see something I like and take the picture.
Where?
I would say a majority of my photography takes place in intimate spaces, lots of interiors and small neighborhood landscapes. I used to go downtown with my camera and have this notion of “I’m going out to take pictures today” but for the past few years I have managed to shed that sort of thinking. Now I just never leave my house without a camera and I photograph my simple daily experiences.
When?
Around 2010 I wasn’t playing music in bands or going on tour nearly as much and photography filled a void that was left by music having a smaller role in my life. One of my best friends, Joe Aguirre, really helped guide me early on and he steered me toward the style of street photography and it was like this whole new world just opened up. It really blew me away and left me feeling like I needed to try it myself. I hadn’t ever seen pictures like that before. It was like a religious experience. That was when I realized this was going to be more than just a hobby for me.
Why?
Photography is my main thing outside of work and family. I see the world in black and white just the same as I would tear apart every note and beat of every song I’d hear. To answer “why?” is substantially difficult. I guess it’s just something that needed to happen for me. Without photography, I really couldn’t say what I would be doing.
You might also like
