The scorching month of July has left us and once again Matca receives heaps of beautiful pictures in which light plays a vital part. This time, we have the pleasure of inviting Vietnam-based photographer and TV personality Justin Mott to pick his favorites.
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Everyone is drawn to different things in an image. In a world saturated with imagery I scan quickly and my eyes stop when I see intriguing light. Then, I look deeper to see if there is a moment or mood or anything in the image that makes me feel something – that something could be curiosity, nostalgia, joy, sadness, etc. If a photographer could take pictures that arise feelings from others, I think they have done something special.
1. Photo by pwin_pt.
I’m always attracted to beautiful and moody contrasting light like you see in this image. Interesting light for me is only the first step, a good picture has to be more than that. The light in this image catches my eye at first sight, but there is also a simple and beautiful everyday moment of life at a compound apartment within that light that we can all relate to.
2. Photo by giansin.
This image has a James Nachtwey quality to it. What draws my eye to this image is the layers, there is much to look at: an old woman on the foreground, the dramatic moment of sunrise on the beach, a group of people running to the boat, etc. For those of you who don’t know who James Nachtwey is, he’s a veteran photojournalist that I personally really look up to. You should google him and explore his amazing work.
3. Photo by p.martel__.
I love minimalistic images and this photograph has that quality to it, simple yet brave composition and the BW really works well to draw your attention to the two focal points of the image, the kite in the sky and the silhouette of a man.
4. Photo by phamtuann.
First off the light works magically. This image has intriguing textures in the train and the light seemingly creates a connection between the two subjects that are separated by vertical lines. It may not me in reality but the lighting and the mood makes your mind ponder for a moment and beyond.
5. Photo by phamtuann.
This is my favorite image of this month. I love everything about it, I even love what some might perceive as what’s wrong with it. I am normally distracted by lines popping out of people’s heads but in this particular case it works quite well. What I see in this images the chaos and cluster of the wires of Vietnam that we are familiar with imprinted on the blue and magenta sky. I love the composition of a person passing through that chaos on the twilight backdrop. This image is simple and complex at the same time, I absolutely love it.
Justin Mott is an American photographer living in Vietnam since 2006. He has shot over 100 assignments for the New York Times and his major editorial clients include TIME, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian among many others. His boutique visual production studio Mott Visuals specializes in premium commercial photography and video production. Mott is also familiar to TV viewers as host and resident judge of History Channel’s hit photography reality series Photo Face-Off now entering their 4th Season.
Connect with Justin Mott on his personal Instagram, As Above So Below Instagram and photography blog AskMott.
