Introducing Johnny Mattice; A Photographer calling his own shots.

Introducing Johnny Mattice; A Photographer calling his own shots.
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Johnny Mattice [All photos provided by Che Galloway]

You first met Che in Rochester works for actor Che Holloway, an impromptu interview and amble through the Neighborhood of the Arts.

An aspiring and successful actor, Che is deeply immersed in the Rochester cultural scene. So much so, we’ve named him Che of The Town!

Exclusively for Talker, Che has solicited and is conducting interviews from about 50 Rochestarians working in a diversity of creative fields.

For the full series, see Che of The Town: Interviews (1-14)

Introducing Johnny Mattice; A Photographer calling his own shots.

I was very fortunate to interview Johnny Mattice of BRAVO Photos, an extremely talented photographer within our community. Here is what we discussed.

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Tell us a little about yourself, where your from, grew up, what H.S./College you attended, etc.

I was born and raised in the great city of Rochester, New York. I attended Edison Tech and Eastridge for high school. For college I first attended MCC and then Empire State University majoring in Business and Art.

What inspired you to be an artist/entertainer? Early experiences worth sharing?

My first inspiration to become a photographer came from my father. He was in the military and spent a lot of time overseas in Europe traveling and taking pictures of all of these wonderful and historical places. Places that I’d only heard about or saw in magazines. It left an indelible mark on me that still resonates to this day. I remember seeing all of his 35mm cameras lying around the house while I was growing up and playing with them and thinking they were so cool. I was hooked.

Talk about a time where you have faced adversity/conflict and have triumphed.pic 6 compressed

The worst adversity I’ve had to overcome concerning photography was due to my back surgery. Many times when you are shooting you need to stand or bend or twist and turn and these movements are usually quite difficult for me now. So I try to shoot smarter now, not longer.

What do you believe sets you apart from other artists/entertainers?

I would have to say my perspective sets me apart from other photographers. Not that mine is any better or worse than anyone else’s. It’s just something that sets us all apart from each other. We all have our own vision and want to express it differently. Two people can look at the same object and shoot it in totally different contrasting ways.

Do you have other interests or hobbies?

Outside of photography I love music and playing the drums. I also love to paint. It’s very relaxing. I’ve always loved traveling to new and exciting places and meeting different people.  Although my camera is always close by just in case an opportunity presents itself.pic 5 compresed

Any projects you have out or currently working on?

I’m currently preparing work for the tremendous 6×6 exhibition we have downtown at the Rochester Contemporary Arts Center. I look forward to this event ever year.nyc compresed

Where would you like to see yourself?

In 5 years, I’d like to see myself working and living in New York City. It’s always been a dream of mine. It’s one of the best places in the world to live and be a photographer in. It has history, music, art, museums, skyscrapers, bridges and roughly 8 million people to photograph. Ideal place for a street photographer

Shoot, Shoot, Shoot. Always have your camera with you and be ready to shoot anything and everything you see. Practice really does make perfect. Be ready to jump on every opportunity that presents itself. These moments are fleeting and don’t last very long. Many times you only have one chance and if you miss it, you might not have another one again.pic 4 compressed

How can we follow along in your journey? Social media?pic 2

You can follow me on my two Facebook pages which are Bravo Photo and Johnny Mattice. My Instagram is John_Mattice and my Twitter is also John mattice.

SEE ALSO

Che of The Town: Interviews (1-107)

About The Author

dkramer3@naz.edu

Welcome to Talker of the Town! My name is David Kramer. I have a Ph.D in English and teach at Keuka College. I am a former and still active Fellow at the Nazareth College Center for Public History and a Storyteller in Residence at the SmallMatters Institute. Over the years, I have taught at Monroe Community College, the Rochester Institute of Technology and St. John Fisher College. I have published numerous Guest Essays, Letters, Book Reviews and Opinion pieces in The New York Times, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, the Buffalo News, the Rochester Patriot, the Providence Journal, the Providence Business News, the Brown Alumni Magazine, the New London Day, the Boston Herald, the Messenger Post Newspapers, the Wedge, the Empty Closet, the CITY, Lake Affect Magazine and Brighton Connections. My poetry appears in The Criterion: An International Journal in English and Rundenalia and my academic writing in War, Literature and the Arts and Twentieth Century Literary Criticism. Starting in February 2013, I wrote for three Democratic and Chronicle  blogs, "Make City Schools Better," "Unite Rochester," and the "Editorial Board." When my tenure at the D & C  ended, I wanted to continue conversations first begun there. And start new ones.  So we created this new space, Talker of the Town, where all are invited to join. I don’t like to say these posts are “mine.” Very few of them are the sole product of my sometimes overheated imagination. Instead, I call them partnerships and collaborations. Or as they say in education, “peer group work.” Talker of the Town might better be Talkers of the Town. The blog won’t thrive without your leads, text, pictures, ideas, facebook shares, tweets, comments and criticisms.

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