Last month a group of dancers, keen photographers and enthusiasts gathered in the chic surroundings of St Martins Lane Hotel for a very special evening with acclaimed photographer Jordan Matter for a photography workshop and Q&A session.
The evening started with Jordan telling us about how he got into photography, as he had never planned to be a professional photographer. In fact, Jordan started his career as a professional actor and stumbled into photography quite by chance. It was at an exhibit by photojournalist Henri Cartier-Bresson that that was the catalyst for Jordan. He was so impressed by the way Henri had the ability to capture a person’s true essence and tell a story. All Henri’s photography subjects were human and that is what moved Jordan and encouraged him to learn how to photograph people more intimately.
It was at this moment that photography started to become a hobby for Jordan, which then turned into a passion and ultimately his career.
Some fantastic books have been born out of Jordan’s photography success, such as ‘Dancers Among Us’, ‘Dancers After Dark’, ‘Tiny Dancers Among Us’, ‘Athletes Among Us’, Circus Among Us’ and ‘Uncovered’, which is a book of portraits and personal statements from over 80 women who have bared their chests for the book in very public locations around New York City!
Speaking of New York City, this is not only where Jordan lives with his family, but also where he takes the majority of his photographs. It’s a city that offers so much colour and vibrancy and is the perfect backdrop for his many photo shoots.
Jordan is however, not averse to hopping on a plane from time-to-time and has become a regular visitor to London. And it is here in London that he has forged an exclusive relationship with Danceworks London. When he comes to London, Jordan holds a series of workshops and a number of his now famous 10-Minute Dance Challenges which has led to him achieving a remarkable 100 million views on his YouTube channel. Add to that his 700,000+ Instagram followers, Jordan has built up a loyal following from all around the world.
It was on this recent visit to London that Jordan shot a 10-minute challenge in Oxford Street as part of a special dance photography workshop Danceworks put together with Nikon which you can watch below. And needless to say, there is a wonderful pool of talented dancers at Danceworks willing to get in front of Jordan’s lens!
Out intrepid photographer Pietro Recchia went to watch the filming of Jordan’s video with performers from Danceworks to mark this amazing achievement on YouTube and here are a selection of his photographs from the day.
One of the many things I like about Jordan is that he was more than willing to share how he prepares for his photo shoots and the secrets behind those wonderful shots he achieves. None of his photographs are photoshopped. Every single one of those extraordinary and incredible shots are achieved with painstaking patience and sheer will power, and in some cases after an hour or so of perseverance! The dancers who you see in Jordan’s photographs are stars in their own right, dedicated to achieving excellence.
As a passionate photographer myself, I have to say I found Jordan’s workshop to be truly inspirational, giving me more confidence in what you can achieve when you really set your mind to it.
To see more of Jordan Matter’s wonderful photography and videos or find out more about the man himself, please visit his website at www.jordanmatter.com
Author Bio:
Simon Burrell is Editor-in-Chief of Our Man On The Ground, a member of The British Guild of Travel Writers and professional photographer.
Photographs courtesy of Jordan Matter
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