Five years after graduating from PSC, international photographer Mathew Lynn gives us an update about the action-packed life of working in the field of photography.
Mathew Lynn is currently a freelancer who is picking up assignments with The Weekly Review, Star Weekly and Getty, in addition to being a contributor for The Yen Magazine, The Age, Makeshift, The Sydney Morning Herald and Foreign Policy. He is working around the clock, in the pursuit of returning to his life of globetrotting.
Graduating with his Advanced Diploma from PSC in 2010, Mathew immediately went on to accomplish paid photography assignments in Timor Leste, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, Singapore and Hong Kong. Using his skills at PSC, Mathew networked with staff and peers who referred him to jobs, adding breadth to his riveting portfolio.
Mathew Lynn, 2014. 'Young people dance while being sprayed with water. Town Hall, Yangon.'
One of his earliest professional folio pieces involved photographing drag queens at commercial studios – and from that moment onwards Mathew was spear-heading opportunities left, right and centre.
“The contacts I made while studying, proved to be really useful – some put my name forward to volunteer shooting stills on a feature film ‘Balibo’. Even though the film tanked, I made more contacts who assisted me in getting contacts in Timor. Within a year of graduating from PSC, I found myself sitting in the President of Timor’s back yard drinking gin and tonics!”
Having an eclectic collection of work and taking up opportunities that led him overseas (particularly around Asia) has helped Mathew carve a niche for himself, dealing with clients all over the world. His last assignment on ‘Ageing in Singapore’ was presented to him by an independent and dynamic social enterprise, ‘Gone Adventurin’, which has been making waves with its community driven approach to storytelling and business marketing. Mathew’s project will soon be featured on their channel.
Mathew Lynn: 01 October 2014, Admiralty, Hong Kong. 'Occupy Hong Kong With Peace And Love' / 'Umbrella Revolution' protestors wave mobile phone LED's while singing in unity beside government buildings in Hong Kong. Protests began after the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) came to a decision regarding proposed reforms to the Hong Kong electoral system.'
Looking back at how he has grown as a professional commercial photographer and photojournalist, Mathew feels that getting a strong foundation in photography education was key in securing the work he gets today.
“I think PSC is great at teaching technique. The course is also commercially driven, which is useful - particularly in the way of editing, and toning images. “
As Mathew embarks upon another journey, capturing important stories across Asia Pacific, he advises photography students to diversify their work through different genres of photography and video.
Follow Mathew's rich journey by reading his insightful blog: http://matlynn.blogspot.com.au and keep updated with his new work on his website: http://www.matlynn.com
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