Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Taplinger.
Hi Matthew, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started my career in photography in 1999 while on summer break from studying photojournalism at Ohio University. Interning at the alt-weekly magazine Real Detroit Weekly, some of my first assignments were shooting concerts happening around town – artists such as Hole, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eminem, Pavement and Limp Bizkit, among others. This experience provided a slew of opportunities for me to hit the streets with my camera, capturing the diverse energy of the city at nightclubs, block parties and more… all on 35mm.
After graduating later that year, I started working at the The Observer and Eccentric, a local newspaper in the metro Detroit area. Here I got the chance to cover a wide range of events, from presidential campaign rallies to murder trials, and really had the chance to start putting my visual storytelling skills into practice in more intensive ways.
I moved to Chicago in 2002 and got my first taste of the corporate world working for a B2B trade publication, where I traveled around the country shooting business conferences and executive portraits for a number of years. Around this same time, I started building a small, but steady freelance clientele, where I was able to start shooting for various music festivals like Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Pitchfork, as well as film festivals and sponsored parties, all while shooting my own personal photography projects and showing at different galleries from time to time.
In 2009 I relocated to NYC and spent 7 years there on the grind, working as an editor on the photo desk at the New York Post and freelancing as an event photographer with StarPix, a boutique celebrity, red carpet and event photo company that provided photo coverage on the East coast for leading film studio clients and publishers. I also spent a good amount of time working within the NY nightlife scene at Le Poison Rouge, where I had the opportunity to shoot several up and coming artists who were on the verge of breaking out to wider audiences. All of these experiences helped prepare me for the in-depth and fast-paced transition to broadcast media when I moved to Atlanta to start working at CNN in 2016.
A few years later, I headed out to Los Angeles and began working with CBS in the network’s photo department on the corporate side. In the past six years I’ve seen a wild amount of change within the entertainment industry, as business needs fluctuate and production slows down, while Hollywood itself struggles to keep up and maintain its stature. The only constant has been change… and the ability to continually try to adapt to it all.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I definitely wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road. There were a number of lulls in employment for sure and times where I was freelancing, trying to make it in what felt like a super overcrowded photography field, especially in NYC. I found that taking some of the less desirable work opportunities that came up helped get me through those difficult times, but also added a kind of undercurrent of disappointment, or periods of depression even… while simultaneously motivating me to do better and not give up on it altogether.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve been working as a photographer and editor primarily in the television/entertainment world for the past 6+ years, as part of the photo department at CBS/Paramount. My background is in photojournalism/news, where I worked within that realm off and on for nearly two decades before eventually getting burnt out by the growing onslaught of tragic stories. A lot of valuable experience came out of that time though, certainly. I’d say one of my greatest strengths as a photographer is visual storytelling, especially when it comes to event coverage. I’m always trying to capture the energy of an event in the images I take – whether it’s seeking out thoughtful compositions on the fly or being there to catch those defining moments as they play out before my eyes.
When I’m not shooting on assignment, you can find me hanging out with my daughter, banging on the drums, doing the occasional DJ night around town or working on various personal projects such as “Revelations” – a recurring photo series I’ve been working on for several years now that evokes elements of street art, mixed media collage and fading memories.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Hard for me to say where the entertainment industry is going, as it’s already changed so much since I’ve been in it – from the shutdown in 2020 to the transition to remote working, the strikes in 2023, the gradual loss of production in L.A. to Canada and other countries. I know a ton of people here who used to regularly work on films or television productions and are nowadays seriously struggling to find gigs, and are even considering complete career shifts.
I’m also seeing a great deal of investment and accumulating interest in A.I. to do more and more, as we all are in almost every aspect of life. I personally find it all quite concerning. Hasn’t anyone seen the Terminator films?! Or any other sci-fi for that matter?? Sheeesh… But for real, the acceleration of automation going on at the moment and the potential for greater human job loss, wealth inequality and our overall loss of self-expression and connectivity to one another is just so devastating to me, and seems like a complete self-own driven by the most short-sighted wants and desires of mankind.
Of course, I always try to keep a positive outlook in general, so I’m greatly hoping the recent tax incentives to bring more productions back to L.A. work, and that it’s not too late to reverse course in the near future. It’s so important that Hollywood is able to maintain its stature and reputation as a place where creatives in a range of fields can thrive independently and have a slew of opportunities to do what they do best.
Pricing:
- Please contact: [email protected] with inquiries.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nonformatphotography.com/
- Instagram: @nonformat2.0
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nonformat
Image Credits
Matthew Taplinger
