In the midst of a busy summer full of sports and political events, we managed to catch up with London-based news photographer Matthew Chattle. Matthew has been providing Alamy with his imagery for almost two decades and with over 35 years of photography experience, we knew he would have some great insights from his industry to share with us.
Read on to find out how he gets his images noticed by the media, why he chose Alamy to supply to and the story behind his most memorable photo.
LG: What made you want to become a news photographer over other photography areas?
MC: I started as an editorial photographer back in 1987, and I worked for book packagers producing books on diverse topics like kite making, cake decorating and guitars. I was also a mixed media/photo illustrator for a while as well, so I have had experience of many different genres of photography. I think this is useful in terms of working with and for different clients and designers. But documentary and reportage was the area that inspired me in the first place to study photography, and the opportunity to work on news photography was something I took when it occurred and I can’t see myself doing anything else now.
LG: Do you have a favourite story that you have covered, or a favourite event that you love capturing every year?
MC: The thing that I find most enjoyable about news photography is that it gives you the chance to search out stories, and not necessarily the regular, recurring topics. Reacting to events as they happen such as the Banksy work, which by its nature is ephemeral, and capturing it before it inevitably goes is always fascinating. I also like to find my own subjects which I want to explore, but always from a news angle, not just as a personal interest.
As a student looking at the FSA photography was instrumental in showing me the importance of documentary photography for recording life that eventually becomes historical record.
LG: What is the most memorable photo you have taken? Can you tell us why you’ve chosen this one and the story behind it?
MC: I don’t tend to dwell on the pictures I’ve taken and with the pace of news work once a picture is taken and uploaded I almost forget about them! But an example of a subject that appealed to me was the ‘We’re Here Because We’re Here‘ art event by conceptual artist Jeremy Deller. During the event, men dressed as WW1 soldiers walked silently around central London to mark the 100 centenary of the Somme. It was a one off event and plainly many members of the public didn’t know what it was about (which was the point of the performance).
Photography is a record of history whether that is the mundane such as a picture of a telephone box that will become redundant and replaced, or a historical event like the funeral of Margaret Thatcher.
Men dressed as Great War soldiers march around London for Somme 100. We're here because we're here. Jeremy Deller. July 2016
LG: What do you think is the best way to get your photos noticed by the media?
MC: That’s a very good question in this day and age! The saturation of imagery is hard to get through and to be noticed. Social media has its uses, but I now tend to use LinkedIn to notify editors I’m connected to of something I’ve shot. But whether it works, who knows.
LG: Being based in London means the action you shoot is right on your doorstep. Did you grow up in London, or did you move there during your photography career and if so, what drew you to this particular city?
MC: I’m not from London but I’ve been here since 1988. I always thought I would move here to work in photography as the opportunities in editorial photography (which is where I started) really did not arise in the north.
LG: You’ve been sending us your images for almost 20 years, why did you choose Alamy to supply your images to?
MC: Initially through a recommendation by a friend, and once I began sending images I thought Alamy gave photographers the best opportunity to be seen and to earn a living by doing so. Alamy takes a wide range of work and doesn’t restrict you in what they take. It’s up to the photographers to decide what they want to send. Which is the best kind of photography freedom you could ask for.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our chat with Matthew, we’re looking forward to seeing what he captures next. To see more of his work you can find his website here, follow him on Instagram and discover his full collection on Alamy here.