About Me
I am Matt Freedman – though my friends often call me Pmatt (it is a long story, and the P is silent anyway, so don't worry about it). I am a freelance photographer in Seattle specializing in editorial and commercial assignments, portraiture, fine art erotica, and events. I am also the staff photographer for JUST CAUSE Magazine. As the photographer/author of Burning Man 2008: A Photo Essay by Matt Freedman, I am probably most well known for my Burning Man photography.
Along with chef Tiberio Simone, I am currently developing a print photography book titled La Figa: Visions of Food and Form. It is a visual exploration of food and the human form. Prints from the project, as well as live versions of some of the pieces were the cornerstone installation at the 2009 Seattle Erotic Art Festival.
In 2008 I was an artist in residence at the Creators Equity Foundation in Berkeley, where I produced a series of extremely large format prints from my Burning Man festival portfolio. These prints were featured in the 21 Days of Black Rock City exhibition in Petaluma, CA, and also shown in the Art of Burning Man show at the Reno airport in 2009.
My first artistic passion was travel photography. The style I have developed in all of my work is informed by that, and could be described as journalistic. Whether on a trip, or doing an erotic studio shoot, I do not create photographs so much as seek them. When my camera is with me, I view everything differently – I am always on the lookout for the image – whether it is a landscape, a texture, a facial expression, a weird juxtaposition, a sign written in comically bad English, or a really cute cat. But for me, pressing the shutter is just the beginning of the creative process – I spend far more time on the computer honing my initial captures into pieces that match my artistic vision than I do actually shooting.
Though I studied photography at Seattle’s Photo Center Northwest, I also have a Master’s degree in Computer Science, plus years of experience as a software engineer. It is this technical background which has allowed me to attain a mastery of the more subtle aspects of the digital imaging workflow.