Photographer #317: Matt Eich

Matt Eich, 1986, USA, is a young documentary photographer based in Virginia and one of the founding members of Luceo Images. He is currently working on a series in Baptist Town where he started to document the "black" neighbourhood and is planning to do the same in the "white" region. His goal with this series is to remind people that even though civil rights are taught in history classes around the US, the legacies of racism continue to impact the people economically and culturally. In his series Carry Me Ohio, Matt documents the poor communities in Southeast Ohio, a region that once thrived on its mining industry, and how they attempt to recover economically. In recent years Matt has been in numerous group exhibitions and several solo exhibitions. The following images come from the series Sin and Salvation in Baptist Town, An Altered State of Being and Carry Me Ohio.

Website: www.matteichphoto.com

Photographer #291: Matt Black

Matt Black, 1970, USA, is a socially engaged documentary photographer. He grew up in a small town in California's Central Valley, an agricultural area that is home to some of the poorest communities in the US. In his Dust Stories he photographs the various communities, including indigenous Mexicans and the isolated Hmong population, who have come to Central Valley to work on large and rich farms or try to make a living on their own. However, poverty, unemployment, drug and alcohol addiction, crime and teenage pregnancies are commonplace in these areas. The area produces nearly half of the US supply of fresh food. In Cloud Stories, Matt went to photograph the Mixteca, a mountain range in southern Mexico that is home to four indigenous ethnic groups, living largely isolated, speaking the pre-Colombian languages and often living without electricity and indoor plumbing. These towns have recently (and currently) transformed as the inhabitants are largely migrating to the USA. Matt has received numerous awards and grants for his work. The following images come from the Dust Stories: Oaxacan Exodus and The Black Okies and from the Cloud Stories: The Third Root.

Website: www.mattblack.com

Photographer #178: Matt Stuart

Matt Stuart, 1974, UK, is a street photographer. He uses a Leica MP to shoot his images. Matt's work is humorous and spontaneous. He does not stage or manipulate any of his photographs apart from his commercial work. Roaming the streets of London, Stuart is looking for moments, happenings where all things fall into place to make his shot. He had a show beginning of this year called Happy Accidents, which might just be the best title to describe Matt's photography. The following images come from his Colour and Black&White portfolio.

Website: www.mattstuart.com