The Unexpected of the World Deserves Witnesses
A Fortuitous Gift
“I took this picture on Oxford Street, one of my favourite places in London for street photography – but also one of the toughest, because it’s such a busy street. It was already late afternoon, and the sun was blinding many of the people heading west. I first noticed a woman who was standing on a bench, appearing to be looking for something. I started taking a couple of pictures of her. A few seconds later, an elderly man with a walking stick appeared. He raised his hand over his eyes to protect them from the sun. With the walking stick in his hand, it looked like he had a prominent, rather comical nose. He stood there on the pavement for a while, so I was able to concentrate on the background of the image. I paid attention to ensuring that no person would overlap with another, despite the afternoon hustle and bustle. I chose a layout where each character had enough space. The interplay of the colours was a total hit.”
Most of my photos are taken in public places, in London and all over the world.
Matt Stuart
“When I was 21, I worked at a call centre for customer complaints. On average, I would get screamed at by at least 100 people every working day. In turn, I would try to offer them a deal, calm them down and make them happy again. The job really brought me down. One day, my father gave me two photo books: one by Henri Cartier-Bresson and the other by Robert Frank. He couldn’t have given me a better gift. Despite all the complaining those books helped keep me positive. From that day on, I was smiling during every call that I took, because I had made a decision: I would dedicate the rest of my life to photography. Shortly afterward, I quit the job.”
My pictures reveal something bizarre about the world, even if it is just a minor event or gesture.
Matt Stuart
“My photographic style is rather simple: I use a lot of natural light and, on the whole, I work in colour. I look for moments that are particularly unusual or funny, like the illusion of the strange nose in my Oxford Circus picture. I purchased my first Leica M6 in 1998, after having taken part in a workshop run by Magnum photographer Leonard Freed. I was surprised by how close he got to people with his little Leica. Even though I was totally broke, I had to have that camera. Since then, an M6 or MP with a 35mm lens has been my faithful companion on my photographic forays. I was also involved at the time when the Leica M10 was introduced to the market and, since then, I've also been using this amazing model.”
