Waterford High School is home to many talented sports teams, but what many don’t notice on the sidelines is Senior Photographer Matt Ory. Matt is pursuing his passion for photography while also bringing students joy through his work.
Matt’s love for photography started early: “From a young age, I’ve always been interested in cameras. The ability to stop motion, stop time, and experience a specific moment again is very special to me. ” Matt has taken the passion demonstrated by most players on the field and frozen it in time for everyone to experience, including non-athletes, teachers, and even other schools. Not only is he a photographer who captures these sports moments, but he is also a committed D3 baseball player. He found a connection between the two things he enjoys most: playing baseball and capturing moments. From baseball, he was connected to sports, and social media, and he discovered athlete’s game-day posters. He saw it as a fun, unique way to spread information about sporting events without being repetitive. After seeing these posters, he wanted to give it his own twist. And that’s exactly what he did. He created his own Instagram account, @Framesbymatt.
Matt first posted this on his Instagram, @Framesbymatt, on September 30, 2021. When he started out, he was only editing. He was not taking his own photos, but editing others’ with permission and reposting them to his page. Yet it was still hard for him to find success: “I went to a different middle school than everyone else. Freshman year, I knew practically nobody.” He then started taking his own photos and editing them to post on game days, preseason practices, starting seasons, and team picture days. He began to gain traction and support from many students.
Matt made the goal of posting more frequently; he set a personal goal of posting at least once a day. But he needed to find the time to edit the photos he had taken. He finds free time throughout his busy school schedule to process, edit, and post his photos. For example, in September, Matt held a media day for the girls’ varsity volleyball team. Player, Emerson Lane, stated. “He took the photos, and then that same night he shared a drive with all of them with us.” Although it may seem otherwise, Matt confessed that he isn’t the best when it comes to time management. He doesn’t plan out his days, and he doesn’t schedule time for photos or editing. Matt, like most teenagers, does his work at random times, during his free time, in study halls, or during advisory.
What many may see as a job, he sees as his passion. With quality photos come editing programs, different lenses, cutting out major chunks of time, and even multiple cameras. All these things can be costly. Matt does take payment for his work but finds it difficult to ask for a commission: “It’s been really hard to get over the mindset of charging your friends or classmates.” But even Matt knows that with popularity comes business and with business comes costs: “As you grow, it’s important to understand that payment is mandatory for progress. However, I strive for cheapness. ” He doesn’t want to overcharge any of his peers. Although he tries to accommodate his customers, he still has to make a profit somehow. He must also arrange access for himself to get onto the fields, or even behind the scenes at practices. Matt works closely with athletic director Chris Landry to get himself and other photographers access to media passes that allow them onto the fields for better photos or videos during games or practices.
Matt is planning many things for the future of his photography career: “The whole month of September is a project.” Many athletes, students, teachers, and parents can’t wait to see what he brings to the table and to see him raise the bar of expectations for his photos and videos. WHS can’t wait to see what you do next, @FramesbyMatt.