Matt DeTurck
Cover photo for City newspaper's "Best of 2009"Matt has a talent for pouring his passion and curiosity onto the page through the delicate filter of a camera lens.
And this is one curious dude.
“I feel like a little kid, just starting out,” says the 2007 RIT grad and photographer for Rochester's City newspaper.
“I'm constantly learning and trying new stuff,” he says. “I'm terrible at routines, so I feel like every day is different, and that helps keep me excited.”
Which explains the good fit with his eclectic job at City, where he works on a mix of editorial and advertising assignments, in addition to his role as staff photographer.
Browse his gallery on Flickr for a moment, and a pattern forms. Vibrant colors. Sharp details. Odd angles. Seductive dishes. And people who are madly alive.
What makes the magic happen in his camera?
Matt's storytelling covers a broad spectrum of Rochester culture. Raised in Honeoye Falls, N.Y., just south of the city, he sees an endless supply of subject matter in his native region, and he's happy to still call it home.
Matt, as photographed by Gerry Szymanski“It's large enough to hold hidden secrets even for natives,” Matt says. “That's been the best part of working at City: finding out about so much cool shit that I had no idea was in town.”
Another source of inspiration is music.
“My passion is movie scores.”
Among Matt's favorites? Hook by John Williams, Edward Scissorhands by Danny Elfman, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Tykwer/Klimek/Heil, and How to Train Your Dragon by John Powell, to name a few.
“I pretty much have scores playing all the time,” Matt says. “And not just from movies. TV and video games, too.”
A bartender tops off a cocktail at Rochester's Pier 45.It's no accident that his work has a cinematic quality. Matt's love of film shows in the composition and energy of his work—from bartenders to llamas to cheeseburgers. Everybody's a character study.
“I'm very easily swayed by stylish movies with a lot of craft behind them, and particularly very pointed use of color,” he says, mentioning Moulin Rouge!, Donnie Darko, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind among his favorites.
And these days, when he's not taking pictures, he's working on a short film.
“I'm in the middle of production on a piece about the tragic life of condiments,” Matt says of a project in which he's teamed with his partner, Adam Lubitow, and friend Katie Kumler.
“Oh, by the way,” he adds. “We're trying to accomplish it with puppets.”
Two thumbs up.
See more: Matt's web site and Matt on Flickr
Say hi: matt.deturck@gmail.com, on Facebook and on Twitter
Below left: Monroe Diner, Monroe Avenue, Rochester.
Below right: Lilacs in Highland Park, Rochester.
