DILLON MATTHEW
BY CLARA SEELY-KATZ
ON WHERE TO START IF YOU WANT TO BE A PHOTOGRAPHER, HOW TO DEAL WITH PRE-SHOOT ANXIETY, AND HAVING A PRIORITY SHIFT AFTER THE PANDEMIC SHOOK EVERYTHING UP.
A common thread found amongst most young creatives in Los Angeles is a love for collaboration and connection, regardless of what medium they work in. Dillon Matthew, although an exceptional young photographer, is no exception to this truth. For him, the work is about art, but also (and more importantly) about the process of creation and how it has the exceptional ability to bring people together.
For a while now, I have had a fascination with the way that people are able to create these large yet impossibly close-knit networks in the city, so I sought out answers from Matthew, a photographer who I had been a fan of after seeing his work on Instagram, to ask him about how he got to where he is today.
PHOTOGRAPHER: DILLON MATTHEW
PHOTOGRAPHER: DILLON MATTHEW
Dillon Matthew is currently most known for his portraiture, having recently photographed TikToker Addison Rae for TMRW magazine and repeatedly working with the multi-talented pop star Conan Gray on various other projects. His work is full of color and light while still having a more dark, rough feel that nicely sets off his vintage style. Although portraits are currently his primary focus, the way he uses composition to make all of his subjects pop in their own unique ways is what really makes Matthew a photographer to keep an eye on.
Even though his portraits are eye candy and not to be missed, what I really love about Matthew is his conceptual work. Recently he came out with a series entitled "Ghoul In Bloom" that I found particularly compelling. Before even reading the explanatory blurb describing Matthew's vision in creating this project, when looking at the images, I felt the comfortable isolation and ironic passivity that the ghoul-like figure conveys. The way that something that is usually associated with fear and the unnatural is placed into serenity and mundanity in this photo series feels extraordinarily poignant and made me a true Matthew fan.
PHOTOGRAPHER: DILLON MATTHEW
Our conversation covered how he initially got into photography and where he is today for all those wishing to get into the business themselves. We also talked about his opinions on social media, who he is dying to work with, and what one thing everyone should do if they want to get into the industry (hint: just ask).
PHOTOGRAPHER: DILLON MATTHEW
What first drew you to Los Angeles?
From a young age, I knew that I always wanted to be around music, and because I did a lot of concert photography in high school, that geared me toward looking at places where I felt like I could do that while going to school. I wanted to go to art school, and I wanted a rigorous art school curriculum and everything, but I also wanted to be at a big school because I wanted to have friends in different disciplines. So, it was pretty much between Cal Poly and USC, and I ended up at USC. Cal Poly would have been good, but it wasn't "big city enough" — even though I'm not really a city person, I felt like I had to be in the city for my studies. Mainly, I came to LA because I wanted to be in a place that could facilitate what I wanted job-wise. Plus, having that art school experience in which I could have friends who did other things was important to me because I thought it would help me balance out my own life.
So did you grow up in Southern California?
Yes! I grew up in San Diego.
And now, being in LA, can you tell me where your favorite place in the city is?
My favorite place isn't somewhere that I frequent unfortunately. Because I grew up near the beach, I would have to say my favorite parts of LA are the beaches. That being said, a lot of them are really touristy at times. There are certain parts of Manhattan Beach that I think are really excellent. Then also, there's this beach up north of Malibu called Lechuza that I really like. That beach is so calm and quiet.
PHOTOGRAPHER: DILLON MATTHEW
Really? Is it not very well known?
I would say it kind of is. It's under a neighborhood along the PCH, so that is probably why it's quieter. Thinking about it now, I would have to say that it's my favorite place.
PHOTOGRAPHER: DILLON MATTHEW
How about your favorite place to grab a bite?
There are so many amazing places. One of the places that me and my friends frequent a lot that I think is really, really good is Bacari. Have you ever been?
Not yet.
Okay, so there are a few locations. There's one near USC that's good but has more of a college vibe than the other ones. The one I love is their new location that just opened in Silverlake. It has such a cute patio, and they serve great tapas. My friends and I go there a lot.
What was your first photography gig in Los Angeles?
I wasn't living here yet, but I shot for this magazine called Local Wolves, a publication that covers musicians. The piece was for this band called La Bouquet. At the time, I was still in high school and I drove out with my friend to do the shoot; everyone was really nice, and I thought to myself, this is so great. At the time, I had never worked directly with a musician before because I'd only ever shot concerts. So this first experience on a set, getting to shoot a band, was so fun and really was such a rush. I remember leaving that shoot and just being so happy.
Was this before or after you committed to college?
After I had committed to USC, it definitely made me feel good about my choice.
PHOTOGRAPHER: DILLON MATTHEW
So how was your high school experience? Was that when you decided on photography as a career, or did that come about later?
I definitely enjoyed a lot of high school. Although I wouldn't say I was seriously focused on photography in high school, I did start to get into it then because of this app called "PHHHOTO" that me and my friends really got addicted to. It was an app that you could make creative gifs on, and weirdly enough, it had a really cool community where everyone was supporting each other. It got a decent amount of users. I think there were maybe two million users at one point, but eventually, the app ended. I was on that for a long time, which really got me into doing photography with intent behind it. Before that, I'd just been taking nature photos with my parents when we were on trips and vacations. But going on that app very much made me enjoy making images. Then, when the app ended, I continued doing portrait photography of my friends throughout high school. And I took AP art, which really introduced me to conceptual photography and inspired me to start making a series of works, and that's what I applied to school with.
You have directed/shot a few music videos as well. Is that a creative avenue you’re hoping to go down more?
Everything I've made music video-wise has been super run-and-gun. Honestly, I don't know what I'm doing all of the time, but I really want to do more in that sphere, especially larger productions. I want more experience, and I am definitely planning to shadow a few people that I respect that I have worked with previously to learn more about music video creation. I haven't gone full force into that world, but I absolutely want to. I really enjoy being at every step of the creative process, so I would be down to direct and/or do the storyboarding of another music video. Everything I've done so far has been all me. I conceptualize it; I'm the one shooting it; I'm the one editing. All of my previous music videos have been me working directly with the artist and doing every job needed. So the work I've done has definitely been more of a tight-knit crew, or even it's been just the artists and me, and maybe one or two people helping.
Do you usually work with people you’ve worked with before on shoots like that?
Two of the three music videos I've worked on so far were with people I had previously worked with/known. The third and most recent was for this artist named Aiden Bisset. The video just recently came out around two weeks ago, and that was something that was pitched to me. The video itself was more performance-oriented than my other two, and it was a really fun shoot. It got me to learn how to use a new camera and try out new techniques, but I was doing basically everything — it was me trying to do audio playback while having the camera on me and focusing at the same time and looking in the lens. Working like that is just too much; I think I will have more people with me from now on.
Aiden Bisset - So High
Director / Producer: Dillon Matthew
Conan Gray - Heather
Video directed by Dillon Matthew & Conan Gray — Video produced by Dillon Matthew, Conan Gray and Kendall Mayo — Video edited by Dillon Matthew
Who are your artistic inspirations?
Oh my gosh, in terms of abstract photography, I really like Wolfgang Tillmans. He's really great. Neil Krug is also one of my favorite photographers who works within the music industry. He’s done a lot of stuff for a few musicians I really love, and he’s also done work for Lana Del Rey. And I love Petra Collins. Obviously, she's incredible. For weirder, more concept-based work, I like this photographer named Arthur Tress, who created a collection of photographs all about nightmares in the sixties. They're all black and white, and they're weird, but I really enjoy them.
PHOTOGRAPHER: DILLON MATTHEW
Are you hoping to go more into abstract work or stay in the portrait world?
I'm still into portraits. A lot of my conceptual work is primarily the photos I took throughout college and not necessarily the work that I am currently putting out on social media. But the thing I like specifically about photographing for music/albums, in general, is I can still go down the more conceptual avenue with making album artwork or whatnot. Working to represent someone else's creative vision feels more skewed, like the artwork is from the mind of the person I'm working for in some capacity rather than my own. In that way, I can project my own ideas out into the world, but with less pressure.
If you could photograph anyone, dead or alive, who would you shoot with?
I would love to work with Grimes. I just love her artistic intent that is behind everything she does. I also really enjoy the world-building that she does within each album that she makes. It really feels like she doesn't have any creative inhibition in her work, and there's no avenue that she could go down that wouldn't be interesting. I also love her art and her visuals. She is really able to create these worlds that are abstract and yet feel attainable.
All of her work feels very much in the realm of magical realism.
Yes, exactly. That's a great genre to put her in. There are so many artists I love, but there's no competition when it comes to people that I really, really admire for their world-building ability. I mean, the Oblivion video is one of my favorite music videos of all time. It's incredible and something I don't think could be recreated to the same effect today.
A big problem for young creatives in LA is burnout, especially when they are as talented and busy as someone like you is. Do you ever feel overworked, uninspired, or like you lack creativity? If so, what do you do in those moments?
I definitely feel that way, and when I do, watching music videos never fails to make me feel better. My friends and I will sit down and watch music videos all day, and just doing that always inspires me to want to go out and make stuff again. Other than that, I have a lot of photography books that I read and just like to look at when I feel I need a fresh perspective or some kind of inspiration that I am lacking. I have this book by Hugo Comte that I adore. He does a lot of stuff with Caroline Polachek (who I would love to work with); he also did all of the work for Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia.” Just like crazy, crazy, cool stuff. I'll flip through books by people like him, and It helps me look at things differently because a lot of the time, I feel like I get stuck in specific ideas and can't see past them. Especially when I'm in the concept stage, and I'm trying really hard to make something work that ultimately is not going to. To prevent burnout, sometimes I just need to step back and reframe the way that I am approaching something.
PHOTOGRAPHER: DILLON MATTHEW
Do you ever get nervous before a shoot or any collaborative project?
For years I had such bad pre-shoot anxiety. I'm definitely more of an anxious person in general, but I'd say I've gotten a lot more confident in my work over the past year. The change came when I first realized that people were hiring me because they actually liked my work and wanted to collaborate. I think that I used to put a lot of pressure on myself because I was afraid of failure, and so if I wasn't reaching the standards that I was setting for myself, I felt like I wasn't doing a good job, even if I enjoyed the images that I was making. So yes, for a very, very, very long time, I got terrible nerves before every single shoot that I would go to. One shoot comes to mind where I had a moment where I was extremely anxious, and I just had to go to the bathroom and chill out. I just stood in the cool, quiet bathroom and breathed. At the time, things weren't going the way I planned, and we were running out of time. I managed to get through it and get some shots that I liked, but since then, I always try to bring a friend as an assistant to the photoshoot. Even if they are just helping with setting up lighting, it helps me calm down and allows me to focus on my work. Also, having more people there makes a better atmosphere for everyone involved. Often, I find myself having to deal with my equipment to the point where I'm not really interacting with the people I'm working with, which can be awkward. Having someone else there to check on everyone and make the shoot feel more social is always a great way to reduce anxiety.
Wait that’s brilliant! Bringing in a friend as an assistant!
It really helps lift the mood of a set or ease tension to have another person there to help facilitate and socialize, for sure.
Many young people want to work in this industry but are too afraid to move to LA and take the plunge. What advice would you give people too intimidated to put themselves out there?
Honestly, I never really felt intimidated by "the industry." I've been lucky because everyone I've worked with has been supportive and all about collaboration. That's something that I really cherish in my work, having the opportunities to work with other designers and photographers and get advice from people with more experience. I am always just reaching out, even to people I don't really know because I think that asking for help is the reason why I feel comfortable in the stuff I'm doing right now. By asking for help, I've found people that I feel like I can lean on. When I was in high school, I really admired this photographer named Luke Fontana, who does a lot of celebrity portraiture. I reached out to him, and I was like: Hey, I really love your work. Have you ever had an assistant? He said he hadn’t but that when I came to LA that we should have a conversation. Time went by, and I started at USC, and I remembered that he had said that, so I reached out to him. We did some work together, and ever since then, whenever I have a question about something I am working on, he is the first person I go to. I would tell someone they should not ever be afraid to ask questions or to try and learn as much as possible from people they admire.
PHOTOGRAPHER: DILLON MATTHEW
Was having a mentor like that integral to getting you to where you are today?
I wouldn't say that it is how I got into what I'm doing right now, but having reached out to someone and made that connection has made me feel like nothing is impossible. There are so many people I look up to that are doing crazy, cool stuff and working for artists that I've loved my entire life. And since I've watched them get from just starting out to where they are now, nothing feels too far out of reach. That mindset has helped me not feel pressured all of the time because I feel like things will work out, one way or another.
Everything just feels possible in LA.
Yes, exactly.
And if you weren’t pursuing film/photography or anything in that realm, what do you think you would be doing?
All throughout high school, before I got into art, I always wanted to own a hotel, so I would have gone into hospitality. I think a big reason for that is because I love interior design, which definitely goes along with hospitality. I like decorating spaces and making them feel cozy and homey and all that. I think I would have turned that into some sort of interior designer.
What's the most important thing to you in your life right now?
Spending time with the people I care about.
Did the pandemic change what is important to you/what you prioritize and care about the most?
Absolutely, yes. After graduating, I felt I needed to be at a certain point in my career and that there needed to be a certain consistency in my jobs. I spent more time focusing on my work, what I was getting done, and with who and less on if I was enjoying it. Now I just feel like if I focus on working on projects I enjoy with people I respect, then that's all that I need, honestly.
PHOTOGRAPHER: DILLON MATTHEW
Social media is a big part of the current state of photography in LA, so can you tell me how you feel about social media and what your relationship with it looks like?
It stresses me out. I don't like the aspect of it where I feel like I shouldn't be doing a particular thing with it or that I should be caring about "engagement.". I was talking to my friend the other week about social media, and the weird concept that we landed on was that whenever you share anything, and it receives likes, it is as if you had an art gallery and some of the people you know came to it. And thinking about it as an art gallery really relieves the pressure. In terms of an art gallery, not everyone you know will go see your work if you do a gallery opening or whatnot; in the same way, not everyone will see your posts. Now, whenever I put out a new piece on social media, I like to think, who will come and see my work today. And I feel like that makes it less of a weird game that people have turned it into where it's like, who can like get the most this or that. Just like how it is at a gallery, whoever shows up to see it will show up. And whatever they think about it, they're going to think about it. When I apply that to social media, I feel less stressed about the whole thing.
So it is like you are trying to humanize the people who do appreciate your work so you can view them as more than a statistic?
Exactly. Also, I am at a place where I am fine if not a lot of people see a piece that I really enjoyed making. In the end, I am the one making it, and if I'm invested in my work, that's all I really care about.
And where do you see yourself in five years?
I would love to be working in other cities. I would love to live/work in London. I was studying abroad there right before the pandemic began. Before I had to leave, I had just been getting into working there and getting into the music scene. I really miss it. Also, being there made me realize LA isn't where I have to be my entire life, which is something that I kind of thought for a while. So yes, in five years, there isn't anywhere specific I want to be career-wise, but I definitely want to be in a new city experiencing new things.
SPOTLIGHT LA: Los Angeles has a vibrant community of creatives ranging from photographers, actors, musicians, and everything in between. Some are known, some are unknown, but they all deserve a spotlight on their talent and efforts. This column is dedicated to them.