We’re proud to share the fourth of our five Best In Show prize winners from the 9th annual Exposed DC Photography Show. We invited each member of a panel of distinguished D.C. metro-area editors and photojournalists to choose their favorite photograph from the 42 in this year’s exhibit. The five winning photographers will each receive a $100 cash prize from Exposed DC.
We’ll be announcing the fifth and final winner tomorrow. Tickets are still available for the opening reception this Thursday, March 12!
Today’s Best in Show winner is the splendid “Museum Guard” by Matt Dunn. His photo was chosen by judge Evan Vucci, co-founder of Haptic Cinema, and a photojournalist for the Associated Press based in Washington, D.C.
I love this photo because at first glance it seems like a a whimsical photo, but as you look at it more it’s anything but.
Exposed: Was the guard aware that he was being photographed?
Matt: I shot this with a relatively wide angle lens on a rangefinder, which is a relatively small camera compared to a DSLR. I shot a few frames and then briefly chatted with the guard.
How would you describe your photography style or aesthetic? What kinds of subjects do you enjoy shooting the most?
Documentary / Street / Punk Rock. I enjoy shooting Street Photography above anything else, with portraiture a close second.
How do you choose your subjects, or do they choose you?
I shoot anything. I am pretty indiscriminate.
How did you decide which images to enter into the contest? What made you choose this photo?
At the end of every year, I try to select my best work out of the thousands of images I shoot. Usually it’s a pretty small number. The Museum Guard was one of my favorites. In theory, all photos are polysemous, they have multiple meanings, depending on the context and the reader’s individual and cultural sensibilities. I would like to ask the jurors why they choose this photo.
Have you been influenced by any photographer(s) in particular? Which photographers do you admire the most?
I’m more influenced by movies, painters and musicians. But my favorite photographers of the moment are Roger Ballen, Anders Petersen and Joel-Peter Witkin.
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See more of Matt’s work on his website.