Cultural photography is a unique art form that captures the beauty of different cultures and the diversity of people’s lives.
It can be as simple as a portrait or as complex as a street scene, but at its core, each photograph tells a moment, and maybe even a short story in a series. Meet Matt Jacob, a professional photographer who is pursuant in his attempt to master the art of cultural portrait photography. Some may say he already has, but for him the craft is always exactly that; a craft that should continue to evolve, to speak more to, and to inspire.
Before becoming a photographer, Matt was a private jet pilot who had the opportunity to travel the world and meet people from all walks of life.
His unique perspective and eye for the extraordinary in the mundane make his photography stand out. Despite language and cultural barriers, Matt manages to capture the essence of native and aboriginal communities with honesty, emotion, and a narrative that anyone can understand. For Matt, people are the most fascinating subject, as each person has their own story to tell.
Recently, Matt traveled to Baduay, Indonesia, to meet a community of people who live a simple and harmonious life, free from the complications of modern society. Despite the language barrier, Matt was able to capture their essence by observing their interactions and studying their body language.
He also visited the Mentawai, a group of people who prefer to live in ancient ways and sustain themselves from the land. Here, he made friends with one of the tribe’s chiefs and captured their happiness and contentment with simple living. It’s a testament that one doesn’t need modern technology to be happy; sometimes, the basics like food, shelter, and health are enough.
Matt’s love for art, travel, and photography has taken him to many unknown regions of the world. He seeks out places untouched by modern society and captures their essence through his photography. Through his work, Matt hopes to inspire and enlighten others, showing that despite our differences, we all have the same stories to tell when it comes to our culture.
His creative vision shares a world that is strange, yet beautiful at the same time.
If you’d like to see Matt’s photography skills at work, visit his website here.