Who is Joseph Matthew Barber?
“The most important thing about photography is who you are”
Where my journey began:
It was during a trip to visit a good friend in Portland, Oregon when I first realized I wanted to be a photographer. I had never experienced a proper Autumn in all its glory, especially having grown up in Southern California where perpetual blue skies and palm trees make it hard to differentiate the 4 seasons apart. I knew the Portland trip was going to be special and vibrant, and I wanted to bring those colors back home with me. I never could have foresaw how that trip would be the dawn of a romantic journey with my camera.
I initially began my career by graduating with a degree in Finance. Shortly after graduating I went on to study theology which eventually brought me to live in New England and then England (the Olde one) for two years. I had the opportunity to connect with people from all walks of life and cultures throughout the Western world and to see each person as having a unique history and story. During these formative years in my photography, my camera and I traveled through Europe, throughout the UK, and across the United States and all the way up the West Coast multiple times, documenting the beauty of life and nature and bringing those sites and moments to be shared with the world via my images.
“When photographing, I generally
look for some sort of resonance,
connection, spark of recognition. I
try not to make conscious decisions
ahead of time about what I am
looking for.
I don’t make any elaborate
preparations before I go to a location.
Essentially I find locations, walk,
explore and perhaps photograph.
I never know whether I will be in
these places minutes, hours or
days. For me, approaching subject
matter to photograph is a bit like
meeting a person and beginning a
conversation. How does one know
ahead of time where that will lead,
what the subject matter will be, how
deep the conversation will become?”