ABOUT | MPH IMAGE OPTICS

MATT HARRISON

I'm an accounting major with a film studies minor. I know, weird.

I mainly shoot candid street photographs while walking through the city of Philadelphia for countless hours. I love to shoot cityscapes, facades, bicycles, graffiti, murals, storefront signage, and urban artifacts.

I have had a passion for film and art since I was young. I studied architecture at Drexel before switching to my current major. My interest in art has expanded in many ways in finding artists that I admire through the rise of social media platforms. I have a knack for researching and browsing art & photography books, films and listening to instrumentals that have helped develop who I am. My goal is to bring my avid admiration for art and apply that to my photos. I aim to visualize the world through my personal lens in various compositions and am heavily inspired by 35mm street photography, black & white, neo-realism films, and my love for graphic design.

My end goal is to work in the entertainment industry in some capacity, whether on the business or creative side. My plan for Summer 2022 is to document the gorgeous graffiti freight trains in Philly, showcasing the transportation that passes by the city that gives the city character alongside the footage. I am hoping to compile as much footage so I can edit that into a short film as a love letter to the city and am inspired by such short films; such as D.A. Pennebaker's Daybreak Express, Joris Ivens' Regen, Chantal Akerman's News from Home and Manfred Kirchheimer's Stations of the Elevated. Currently, I am looking to improve my current skills as I am taking a Video Production and Photography class this summer at the Community College of Philadelphia so I can compile footage, which I hope leads to more projects and ideas for me to capture.