Mat Reding Finds the Beauty in Bad Weather

Welcome to Hero of the Week, an ongoing series sharing stories from some of the best photographers in the Pexels community.

Grey days tend to disappoint most photographers, but not Mat Reding. The French photographer's often inspired by weather that would inspire most of us to stay home. Foggy, overcast days at the beach, or gloomy afternoons in the city—Mat excels at finding the beauty in dull weather.

"I don't have a particular favorite type of photo to shoot," Mat says. "I love taking photos." By day, Mat is a law student at the University of Paris-Saclay, finding time for photography when he's not studying.

We talked to Mat about his very first camera and the simple photo that's most important to him.

Pexels: How long have you been taking photos, and how did you get started?

Mat: My interest in photography began when I went with the school to Stuttgart, Germany. My parents gave me a little Nikon Coolpix to take some photos.

I started to take photos for passion in 2017 with my mother's camera, a Canon 600D that I still use today.

What inspires your photography?

When I am at the sea with bad weather, or in the mountains, these are two places that inspire me the most in photography. But when I am home in the city, the light and the bad weather inspire me too.

Tell us about your favorite photo on your Pexels profile.

This photo was taken at Dunkirk, France (you know, the Christopher Nolan movie from 2017). This is where my grandma lives, and I used to visit her every summer for almost ten years.

One day the weather was really bad: there was a lot of wind, it was raining, and it was cold, no more than 10°C. My girlfriend and I decided to take a swim in the sea and the water was warmer than the weather so I decided to take my camera and my bag and take a picture of the moment. I went in the water and took this photo.

It may be a simple photo but for me, it is a memory, so it is my favorite photo up until now on Pexels!

Who are some other photographers or artists who inspire your work?

Firstly not a photographer, but my mother helped me discover this passion.

There is also my girlfriend, Sophie, who is also on Pexels. She gives me the motivation to take photos when I don't have inspiration.

What is one goal you have for your photography?

The simplest one: continue what I'm doing, the rest will follow!

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