Biography

SUNSHINE COAST PHOTOGRAPHER Matthew O’Brien can remember the exact moment he fell in love with photography.

He kept the snap to prove it – a heavenward view of dense Californian redwood forest, a single shaft of sunlight cutting through the central canopy overhead. Not bad for a 10-year-old.

Now 25, Matthew’s photos are sought after and admired the world over. His credits include surf brands Kustom, Billabong and Hurley and last year he was among the top 10 most published surf photographers in Australia.

It was winning a surf photography competition three years ago that threw him straight into the industry spotlight.

The winning shot sold globally and international success followed quickly after.

Behind the lens though, Matthew was battling a crippling arthritic condition.

The cause had doctors baffled but Matthew describes the ordeal as his blessing in disguise.

Recovering from one of several operations to repair a painful hip joint in 2009, Matthew turned to film school and photography to fill the void previously spent surfing or skateboarding.

“Arthritis got me to where I am,” he says.

“I hated it at the time but now I look back, it’s a positive. I went through a really bad stage when I couldn’t surf and things weren’t going well. There was a whole serious mental side I had to deal with.

“I’d always surfed but it was just so frustrating. All of a sudden I just couldn’t even stand up – when I tried, I’d go straight down to my knees. It was so painful, even when I was just sleeping.”

Matthew says that in addition to the physical pain, it was difficult to be on the sidelines while friends continued to surf and skate, but it gave him an opportunity.

“It gave me what I needed to actually pursue my dreams,” he says. “Growing up I always knew I would do something with my life. I always knew I was going to do something good.”

Thanks to his parents, who broadened their children’s education through travel to countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal and India, Matthew has seen some the most unusual and remote places in the world.

This has had a guiding influence on his approach and style.

“A lot of photographers will just set up a shot of the surfer,” he says. “To me those photos are boring because they could be taken anywhere in the world. Every guy shoots that stuff and I really don’t want to be like anyone else in the industry.

“I’ll take a wide shot and show what’s going on around it. I think it’s spawned from shooting travel. I think it’s a lot more important than just focussing on the actual athlete.”

Ask Matthew about his ideal shoot and his answer includes chasing tornados, photographing street protesters or exploring the hidden, darker side of urban life.

“I’m in my element when I’m around chaos or the shadier side of the community – although I’m the furthest thing from it,” he says.

Matthew says he loves street photography and candid moments.

“Being a photographer, you can get into situations most people can’t,” he says. “You can meet people and see parts of the world most people wouldn’t. That’s really what I want to do because it’s not mainstream.

“I want to know as much about the world as I can. I don’t want to put my head in the sand and accept what’s on TV.”

Matthew now mentors other young artists on the coast and spoke at a creative conference for students last year.

“A lot of young kids email me their shots and say my work’s inspiring. That means a lot to me and I want to help,” he says.

“I tell them they can do whatever they want if they really put their mind to it. I knew from a young age what I wanted to do and it was always going to happen because I wanted it to. But I also put in a lot of hard work and effort.”

•• Words by Karina Eastway for Salt Magazine 2012 ••