Photographer Tony J. Matos Creates SoCal Dreamscapes
Tony J. Matos is a professional photographer, who moved from Massachusetts to Huntington Beach a little over a year ago. You may have seen his rainbow palm tree photo featured in WiseFool’s Summer Wearable Art Collection. Tony has a distinct style that takes photography to another level. His images are artistic with a dreamy feel.
SURF CITY FAMILY (SCF): Do you use your phone mainly to take photos or do you use a DSLR camera too?
TONY J. MATOS (TJM) : I only use a DSLR.
SCF: Tell us about your equipment and the editing programs you use.
TJM: For my professional job, I use a Canon 5D Mark ii. For my personal artwork and day-to-day, I use the same camera I started with; a Canon Rebel t3. For editing, I mainly use Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Illustrator.
SCF: What are your favorite subjects to photograph?
TJM: I can’t say I have a specific subject I prefer. I’m originally from Massachusetts, so I used to shoot the woods, the sky, and the 17th century buildings that were scattered around the area. Now in Southern California, I try to capture the (SoCal) vibe wherever I find it.
SCF: Why do you shoot the things you shoot?
TJM: I just have a passion for photography, for art, and self-expression. I try to get out of my own way and let God guide me to the places and the subjects he wants me to share. I love taking something that’s ordinary and spinning it into vibrant displays of color, texture, and realism. There are so many things we often overlook in our day-to-day grind. I like to capture them, bring out their inner beauty that deserves to be appreciated, and put them on display for the world to see.
SCF: What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into photography?
TJM: Learn everything you can about the technical aspects of your camera and how to get the most expression out of it. Look at some artwork and photos of the legends and your contemporaries to see their eye and study their philosophies. Once you get that down, go out and shoot for yourself. Shoot anything and everything. Find your own style and bring your own eye into everything you do. Too many people see the same shots of the beautiful landscapes, bird’s eye cityscapes and moody low-light scenes and just replicate them because it’s popular, and it gets a lot of love, etc. Not enough people are pushing boundaries and being original. Don’t let people tell you what you’re doing isn’t what photography is supposed to be. We all have a story to tell and a unique vision of our world, so let it be known through your work.
Learn more about Tony and his photography services at tonyjmatos.com Follow him on Instagram @tonyjmatos