We have been working with Jordan for about four years now. Jordan's work is produced on dye-sublimated aluminum to give him vibrancy in his images.

FROM JORDAN

I've been taking photographs for years. But so what? At last count I believe there were 1,567,892 photographers in New York City, and more are squeezing through the cracks every day. So who am I, exactly, and why am I in the mood to go against 1,567,892 to 1 odds? Well, I began my career as a professional actor, so I know about long shots. And photography really happened by chance."

Jordan never thought of himself as a professional photographer. Playing baseball occupied the first half of his life. Post-college, the transition to acting seemed like an evident choice. Both career choices are highly competitive, immediately gratifying, performance-based jobs. But photography? Jordan's grandfather, Herbert Matter, was a highly successful photographer, with projects commissioned by President Kennedy, Vogue, National Geographic, and Harper’s Bazaar. Jordan spent a great deal of his childhood with him in his darkroom. Jordan's father, Alex Matter, is a gifted film director whose work has been seen at the Venice Film Festival. His mother, Paula Feiten, was a successful Ford model. So, being around a camera is part of his genetic makeup. Still, he wasn’t inspired by taking photos. Although he was enjoying success in acting, he didn't give photography much thought.

That is until he saw an exhibit by photojournalist Henri Cartier-Bresson. His outlook began to change. Henri had an extraordinary ability to capture a person's essence and to tell a story. His subjects are always beautiful simply because they're human. Photographs like Richard Avadon's image of a model hugging an elephant never really interested Jordan, but Cartier-Bresson's images of humanity truly moved him. He wanted to learn how to photograph people on a personal, more intimate level. Soon, it became a hobby. Then, it became a passion, but he never imagined it would become a career.

“One day I was at a friend's house, looking through her headshots. Not one photograph said the slightest thing about her. They were very generic, very studio and very boring. When she told me what she had paid, I almost choked on my Starbucks. Outrageous! I've been the victim of that a few times myself. The next day I grabbed my camera, took her up to the roof and fired off two quick rolls before the sun set. That was it. I was hooked, whether I knew it or not.

Her agents soon sent me their clients, who in turn recommended me to their friends, and a photography career was born. The Today Show, Tyra Banks, MSNBC, CBS, NBC and the BBC have since profiled me, and my work has been featured in many magazines, newspapers and galleries throughout the world. I enjoy the process, I love what I do and I consider myself very lucky. That's the whole story."

To keep up and learn more about Jordan Matter, subscribe to his YouTube Page.