10 Questions with Matityahu Neriya
Matityahu Neriya is a portrait and wildlife photographer based in Judean Desert, Israel.
His goal is to capture and tell an amazing story in images. He believes that everyone has a story and he wants to be the person who captures it with emotional images that live on.
Matityahu Neriya self-portrait
ARTIST STATEMENT
Matityahu Neriya is an artist who lives in Israel and works as a wildlife and portrait photographer. He constantly searches for emotions, textures, and colors to tell an interesting story. It could be a comedy, romantic story, drama, or even horror.
Matityahu likes to shoot environmental portraits in difficult-to-reach locations, usually adding some creative thoughts to it. One of his favorite photographers is Joe Mcnally, a man that shares the same passion for creating photos in every possible way.
His captured experiences are the result of remaining open to his surroundings allowing for the subject to evoke the scene and reveal its true essence.
Sensei, Digital Photography, 2021 © Matityahu Neriya
INTERVIEW
When and how did you start getting involved with photography?
A friend of mine, a photographer as well, once asked me to take a picture of him. And he's a perfectionist - rule of thirds, golden ratio, he's crazy about all that stuff. So I took a picture, and I showed it to him. It was so perfectly imperfect that he loved it. Then he saw another few shots that I made with my phone, and he gave me his first camera, a Nikon D7500. At first, I didn't use it because I didn't feel I could shoot with it, so the camera collected dust on the shelves for a year or so. Then I got a job as a security guy. I was in a huge depression at that time, and I found myself alone most of the time while doing my security duties. So I just started walking around and looking for something interesting to focus my attention on, instead of depression. I live in the desert so you can imagine that there is not much to look for, except some spiky plants, tumbleweed and of course the sunsets and sunrises. So I took the camera from the shelf, blew off the dust and took it with me to capture some interesting moments. It was the end of 2017. A few months later, after the winter rains came spring, the whole desert became green. The whole nature awakened so was I. I started my Instagram page and showed my friend how beautiful this small place could be. All you have to do is just look for it. So my pictures became a reflection of how I see this world and how I feel it.
What is for you the most enjoyable part of your work?
The most enjoyable things are to seize the moment when I shoot wildlife or stills and create some powerful and unusual scenes when I do portraits. When I'm taking a picture, I'm not thinking about the difficulties of making a shot. I'm thinking of opportunities to create it. I can climb to a water tower and shoot while lying on the floor with a flash in one hand and a camera in the other while hanging to the floor with only one leg! And of course, most of the joy comes when I look at the pictures and see the result.
From the Darkness, Digital Photography, 2021 © Matityahu Neriya
Let’s talk about your photographs. How do you choose the subjects to shoot?
When you start shooting people, you know, you start with your friends and people you know. So when I'm thinking about someone, I always think about mutual things that we like, some feelings that we share, and there is always a place for some creative stuff that this person also might like. I want to create moments that can highlight this person's character or show his abilities even if they can't act or move as professionals can. My goal as a creator is to show you the unique angle that can create emotion even on an emotionless face. Remember the Dark Knight Rises movie? Tom Hardy created a really powerful character there only with his eyes. This is my goal. It's not always about the beauty or acting skills, and it's about how to show them.
Where do you find inspiration for your work and what is your creative process like?
I watch youtube a lot. Guys like Gavin Hoey create dramatic and beautiful shots in some small home studios. Like Lindsay Adler, that creates stunning beauty portraits. And, of course, like Joe McNally, the guy that can climb the skyscraper and hang from in on the rope to create some great shots. Sometimes I get inspiration from the things I see around me or from a recently seen movie. Another source is my own thoughts and feelings. I just look deep inside myself and search for things that bother or inspire me.
Sunset Joy, Digital Photography, 2021 © Matityahu Neriya
Wild Frontier, Digital Photography, 2021 © Matityahu Neriya
You mostly work with wildlife photography. Why did you choose it and what does it represent for you?
I just love to observe life as it is. The more I see, the more I understand how beautiful life is and how little we know about it. When I shoot birds or animals, I learn their behaviors and see their emotions. When we have eye contact, they look at me not as a human being but more like another animal. I often feel that they are curious about me because my behavior is different from other people's. When we stare at each other, I feel like I'm a part of nature, not a human that came from a concrete jungle. And each and every emotion can reflect our human feelings. Recently I took a picture of a gazelle that looks at me and smiles! It might sound crazy, but you totally see it when you look at the picture. There are a lot of people that capture beautiful birds and animals, but not all of them can create a story with it. So, once again - my goal is a story and the feelings you feel when you see this story.
How would you define your style? And how has it evolved over the years?
I could call it storytelling portraiture. It doesn't matter if it's wildlife or human, it's always about motions and emotions. I want your total involvement as a viewer. Speaking of evolving of my style, instead of just capturing the moment, I'm trying to create the scene, work with surroundings, and pay more attention to key details. My style may take new different forms, but the core idea always remains the same.
What do you hope that the public takes away from your work?
We live in a society that is based on temporary emotions. It's like endlessly scrolling your phone screen for new TikTok videos or switching tv channels on your remote. It's mostly about entertainment, not about philosophy, psychology, science, or faith. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about entertainment, but I believe that it should bring more than some momentary feelings that'll be gone a few seconds after. I hope that the public will see things the way I see it and hopefully push their vision's limits.
Let’s Play, Digital photography, 2019 © Matityahu Neriya
What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future in terms of new projects?
My first goal is to find more people that share my vision - models, designers, make-up artists, etc. Then, to build a team of motivated individuals capable of creating great things together. I have a few ideas on my mind, but in order to fulfill them, I need to find the right person. It's more about inner feelings that we keep away from ourselves through our life, about our fears and broken childhood.
Do you have any upcoming shows or collaborations you are looking forward to?
This month there will be an exhibition in Blank Wall Gallery (Athens, Greece) that is called 'Moments of Color". And I am one of the artists that has been selected to be exhibited there. Also, I'm planning to make my first official wildlife exhibition in Jerusalem at the end of April. I hope it's just the beginning and if you know any places that would be interested in my work's exhibition, please let me know!
Finally, share something you would like the world to know about you?
I think the best way to know me better is to take a look at my works. Each and every one of them reflects my vision and my soul. Thank you!
