Look into the photo pit during any of Brisbane’s rock gigs and you’ll find Matt Walter. Shooting for the likes of Violent Soho, Dune Rats, WAAX and Skegss to name just a few, Walter has established himself as one of Australia’s finest music photographers. In addition to capturing our fave bands onstage, Walter is tireless in giving back to the photography community, whether that be through his insightful podcast or dialogue with his followers online.
You can probably tell by now that it was an absolute pleasure to chat to Matt about his work and how to survive as an artist in 2019.
I can’t help but admire how you give back to the photography community through your podcast and social media. What motivates this communication with your followers?
Thanks, man! The main motivation comes from knowing how it felt to start out with photography. It’s a really toxic community sometimes if the wrong people are in it. Anyone that says it isn’t is lying to themselves, or are part of the problem. Photographers trying to tear each other down, make others feel less than they are or doubt their work, just push potentially amazing photographers out of the photo pit.
They do it because they feel less photographers means more opportunity for paid work, but paid work rarely comes to those who stab their way to the top. Along the way, they stab the wrong person, and the victim one day becomes the provider and they get blacklisted. It happens. Word spreads and you don’t want to be that asshole. People used to, well, still do - make up garbage about me all the time trying to throw me off. I always told myself that when I had an opportunity to positively influence the photography community, I would.
I want to offset some of the negativity others put in and minimise it by making beginner photographers feel welcome. I get messages often when I talk about this that they quit photography because of the toxicity. It’s not ok. Making beginners or emerging photographers feel like there’s a safe space to enjoy photography without fear or harassment is what motivates me to keep the communication lines open. It only takes one conversation to keep someone in the industry, and hopefully realise their full potential rather than quitting.
What does it take for an artist to succeed in 2019?
I think it takes perseverance and a good attitude. You look at photographers doing amazing things, like Maclay Heriot, Pat O’Hara and Pees, they all have been around for ages but have the energy like they started yesterday. There’s more photographers with a photo pass than ever before, and it’s not about AAA like some elitist photographers would have you believe. It’s about getting great shots, every time, and knowing it’s ok to miss sometimes. It’s natural and everyone does it.
Social media shows us other people’s highlight reels, and it’s the same with photography. You only show work you like, and others do the same. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t take a lot of dud photos too. So don’t get bent out of shape and feel like giving up. Sticking with it and staying hungry is key.
How does the Brisbane music scene compare to other Aussie cities?
The Brisbane music scene is an interesting one because we’re seeing influential bands like Violent Soho and Dune Rats helping smaller bands showcase to much wider audiences at a rate faster than ever before. Bands like WAAX are amazing, and Dune Rats and Violent Soho have helped them get their music heard by so many new people at a rate faster than they otherwise would have.
That’s how I heard of them and met them. Skegss are doing the same with Dumb Punts on the Central Coast - it happens everywhere. But in Brisbane it has been happening more than ever, and it’s so cool. I hate to say it, but Sydney is a weird spot that feels far less vibe-filled as Brisbane and Melbourne, which both share a similar vibe. I guess that’s the politics that limits it.
What advice would you give to yourself at the beginning of your photography journey?
I would tell myself to not worry about what everyone else is doing or what opportunities they’re getting. There are very, very few opportunities that define the photographer. They almost never happen. But when you start as a music photographer, you think that small opportunities are the big opportunities you need to make a name for yourself. So I would tell myself to be patient with it, use every shoot as experience, and define myself with the opportunities I create as opposed to the other way around.
What lies ahead for you in 2019?
2018 was a strange year because all my friends were writing. Soho, Clowns, Ceres, Dune Rats… they all were busy making stuff for 2019. So it’ll be interesting how this year plays out because I havent had a year with so much client overlap. There’s talk of Europe, Ceres album tour, Dune Rats studio stuff… I want to do as much as I can but we will see what fits! As for the learning side of things, I want to keep on with the podcast and release some stuff that will hopefully help photographers with their editing processes. It’s gonna be a fun year!
Cheers Matt! You can listen to the Filter photography podcast on iTunes, Spotify or other places, and be sure to follow Matt’s imagery on his site and socials.
