Meet the Artist: Matt Miller
My first real experience with photography was using a darkroom in my elementary school tech class to make black and white prints. I remember that really blew me away. In high school I fooled around with my grandpa’s old SLR, but it wasn’t until after college when I bought a DSLR to shoot music videos for local bands that I started to really explore still photography. Around the same time the science museum I was working at was cleaning out some storage spaces, and I ended up with an old TLR. Between that camera and dusting off my grandpa’s old 35mm SLR, I dove back into film photography and haven’t slowed down since.
Favorite photo you’ve taken and why?
Probably my shot of a junkyard in Idaho. While driving through a few years back, we were detoured off the main route due to a brush fire along the highway. Down the road, a few miles was this huge junkyard with cars seemingly as far as the eye could see. Hard to pinpoint why it’s one of my favorites exactly. Something about the mess of sun-faded junkers juxtaposed against the cloudless, hazy sky strikes an interesting tension while still feeling cohesive in the stillness and muted colors. Or maybe it’s just the memory.
Where do you feel the most inspired?
Probably in the mountains. I enjoy shooting almost anything and everything which can lead to a diverse, if not desperate, body of work, but there’s something about the mountains that really leaves me in awe, and I’m always trying to capture that in my landscape photography.
What advice do you wish you could give your younger self?
You’re only young once so say “yes” more. Take advantage of opportunities that come your way and do things that push you outside of your routine. Memories are made of road trips and concerts and nights of debauchery with friends, not another well rested morning at your day job, so live it up while you can. And bring a camera ‘cause you’ll probably never look that good again.
Favorite photographer or artistic inspiration?
It’s impossible to pick a favorite, but photographer/filmmaker Eddie O’Keefe had a huge influence on me when I was starting out and remains one of my favorites. I’ve always felt his work is nostalgic while also being timeless - like blue jeans and coca-cola. That’s something I’m always chasing.
Favorite book, TV show, or movie from the past year?
Though I watch a lot of movies, not many of them actually came out in the last year. Of the ones that did, my favorite was probably the short film Please Hold by KD Davila which was a uniquely funny yet terrifying portrayal of our hi-tech dystopian future.
Last meal on earth? (food, setting, people, etc.)
Eggs and bacon somewhere with a pretty view and good company.