Meet Matthew Brush | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matthew Brush and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
In business and in life, risks often show up and you tend to balance those risks with your appetite for them and what the possible reward is. In my career it’s paid off to be riskier. As a photographer and one always trying to outdo my competition in creative ways, I find it’s better to try the ideas that might not always seem like they’ll work and just go with my gut feeling. It’s easier to shoot what’s on trend and mimic what you already see out there, but being able to define something new in the world of creativity is far more powerful. Risks usually come in the form of time and or money. I find myself often risking both for an outcome that will propel me to the next creative chapter of my career.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a photographer always chasing moments and light. I see and recognize the world through colors and patterns and how light interacts with them. I adore all people and have always used the camera as a bridge to interact with a stranger or to simply connect with someone. This is who I am and it’s taken me around the world and I’ve had the luxury to photograph so many amazing people and places. I’ve worked with many top level athletes, musicians, creatives, entertainers, and more. I’ve also photographed many strangers only to discover some compelling character that has an amazing story to share. I frequently work with brands such as Nike, Adidas, Clif Bar, Gatorade, Chevrolet to name a few. I literally got here by repeatedly shooting images and honing my craft over and over and over. Today it’s still rinse and repeat for me. I look back at all my work and just think to myself how much more I need to do. But that’s the artists mindset. We’re only as good as our last project. Or maybe it’s just how I’m wired, but I’m never quite satisfied and am always trying to do something better than the last one. I will say this freelance career is not for the faint of heart. We too need to save money for retirement, buy a house, have lots of insurance, cover life’s expenses and so much more. It’s a constant roller coaster and I’ve gotten really good at saving money and learning to be frugal. But then when it rains it pours!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If we are specifically speaking about LA, I’d recommend a day trip to staircase beach in Malibu. I’d try and catch a show at one of the many famous music venues like the Wiltern, Greek theater or old United artists theater. I’d recommend venturing around Korea town and eating Korean bbq. I’d say a hike through Griffith park is also well warranted or checking out the skyline views at dusk from the Elysian park helipad. Of course you can’t do LA without spending some time cruising around Venice beach. The people watching is excellent there. La is is so diverse that it offers an experience for so many different types of people. I’m more of an outdoor enthusiast and music type so that’s what I gravitate towards in just about all cities.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Back in early 2012, my friend Justin Lewis (@justinmlewis) who was a partner and co founder of the creative firm, Instrument, took a risk by hiring me to shoot a 4 month long documentary project for Nike that took me across the United States and involved 102 shooting days. It was a an amazing experience and helped launch my career into a new path. I will always be thankful to him for that opportunity.

Website: Matthewbrush.com

Instagram: @brush

Linkedin: Matthew Brush