The Creator: Matt Harmon, Photobeast
April 21, 2016
The career of a professional photographer is one full of adventure, soul, and art. At Hollis Brookline High School, one senior leaped and bounded ahead of himself to create sharp imagery as an everyday hobby.
Matt Harmon ‘16 is an astute photographer who is both the lead photographer for the yearbook staff and who takes photos as a hobby, just for his own fun. He takes his photography very seriously and always makes sure that he will produce the best quality photos around town. If you notice any of the artwork displayed in the HBHS library, you might be shocked to hear that those beautiful works of art came from Harmon’s camera genius.
“I guess you could say from a young age, I have traveled all around the country,” Harmon stated. “My dad is a geologist and has taken me to all of the national parks trying to find fossils, cool rocks and gems, stuff like that.” As a result, Harmon was able to travel all around the country, photographing places many people only dream of seeing.
Harmon added, “I have a scrapbook full of these pictures. I became obsessed with these types of pictures, so then I started taking these types of pictures wherever I went.”
[Photography] is a way you can express feeling. I guess you could say [that] for me, being a traveler, [it] has made me able to see all of these beautiful moments that most people have never been able to experience.
— Matt Harmon '16
Although he is a dedicated photographer, Harmon has other plans beyond high school and photography. “My plans are to study at the University of Maine and study new media and minor in film and environmental studies,” Harmon said. “I hope to become a National Geographic fellow when I grow up, it is one of my main goals. I know it is a tough goal, but if you are passionate about anything, failure is never an option.”
“[Photography] is a way you can express feeling. I guess you could say [that] for me, being a traveler, [it] has made me able to see all of these beautiful moments that most people have never been able to experience.” Harmon stated. “I love to distribute these forms of beauty through the form of photography. Most people don’t get to see them, and I want people to care about the outside world as much as I do.”
Next time you take a walk into the library at HBHS, take a look around for Harmon’s work, or better yet, give him a shout-out and he’ll be sure to tell you all about his latest projects.