Photographer of the week: Matthew Kovacs

After a decade of traveling and photographing some of the world’s most desolate and hostile locations, Matthew Kovacs has returned home to Melbourne for a slower-take on photography.

The former Lonely Planet photographer now specialises in Wet Plate Collodion (WPC) and one-of-a-kind image making. Matthew tells us that while he used to shoot rolls of film per day, he now takes a couple of shots over an hour.

“My passion lies in pushing the boundaries of the technique, juxtaposing a contemporary approach to shooting against a historic process, creating work that the technique has never really been known for,” he tells us.

Matthew’s WPC images are beginning to pop-up in collections here and abroad, something he’s been pleasantly surprised by.

“Standing there under the cloak on my camera, chemicals dripping from gloves, I’m so focused on executing the shot I didn’t see how the images would fit in the fine-art world. It’s really satisfying and I’m proud, knowing that I’m creating something someone else can enjoy and appreciate just as much as me.”

On top of all that Matthew’s just been featured in the film Call it a Day.

You can see more of his work at
matthewkovacs.com
sourcephotographica.com.au