Photographer and designer, Matthew T Rader, is the oldest of six children. He’s originally from San Diego, California, and now resides in Dallas, Texas.
When I was 13 my family moved to Wills Point, a small East Texas town so we could live in a bigger house with some land for us to play on. Having experienced both big city and small-town country life gave me a deep appreciation for the many types of lifestyles and cultures people live. Those experiences gave me a passion for travel and getting to know people from all walks of life. Throughout my life, I have lived in many places. Including, 5 U.S. states, Mexico for 4 1/2 years, and Seoul, South Korea for a year and a half. I also had the opportunity to spend a month traveling around southern India.
Learning Photography and Design
My father introduced me to photography and design when I was a young teenager. Both of these were his hobbies. My dad’s photography was centered around documenting our lives. He took numerous photos of us when we were kids in the 1980s. Many of the photos are beautiful reminders of the life he and my mother provided for us. Watching take those photos and then develop them is what inspired me to be a photographer.
My father also did design by volunteering his time to design newsletters for the Boy Scouts and our church’s weekly bulletins. While growing up, I would sit next to him and watch him design those newsletters with CorelDRAW on a Macintosh SE. From watching my father, photography and design became the main two interests that followed me all my life.
Education
In 2011, I enrolled in the Emerging Media and Communications program at The University of Texas at Dallas, it was perfectly suited to grow and mature my two passions. My education there enabled me to build upon my life experiences and use them to create meaningful art, reflections, and observations about life and people. In 2019, I completed my Master’s degree in Interaction Design from The University of North Texas which helped launch my career in UX/Product design.
I have had my photography work displayed in a few galleries, a couple of special exhibits, and published in numerous magazines and websites.
My Approach To Photography
The Photography I make explores and documents unique people and places around the world and the United States with a focus on Dallas, Texas. Dallas is the focus because that is the city where I live and I tend to photograph whatever is closest to me at any given moment.
I have found it difficult to pinpoint a specific type or style of photography I make. Because when I see something that piques my interest, I photograph it. I carry either one of my cameras with me everywhere I go. Rarely, I give thought to what kind of style I’m attempting to leverage.
My photos can be described as street, landscape, cityscape, portrait, event, nature, abstract, urban exploration, and travel photography. Sometimes, a single shoot has several of these styles interwoven with one another. Depending on the scene, I will make whatever style of photo I think best represents my vision at the moment.
The goal of my photography is to relate an experience, a vision, or a narrative to the viewer. To share something with everyone I thought was interesting or beautiful or odd. To hopefully help people see the world through different eyes other than their own. And hopefully to contribute to creating more awareness of the amazing world we live in.
Lastly, is the art of photography. I love the art of it all. The process of having a vision and then creating something from the vision that did not exist before. I have found photography to be the most natural way for me to express my artistic desires and visions. I have learned to not focus on the outcome and whether people like it or not, instead I focus on enjoying the process of creating art.
Please enjoy my photos and leave a comment letting me know your thoughts as you look through them.
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