By Dane Anderson, Staff Writer 

Roy Mata began his career in photography as a photojournalist using film cameras before he turned 18. Still a student at Westlake High School with a lot of talent and a matching amount of curiosity about the world and the people in it, he set out on a path into the world of captured images. 

“What makes Roy such a great photographer is his ability to see photographs where others don’t,”said his former photojournalism teacher Cindy Todd. “I think he’s constantly looking for photo opportunities in every situation. He looks at life as one big photo op.”

Mata first developed his interest in photography as a child watching his dad take family photographs. The inquisitive boy with an eye for the shot bought his first camera in high school so he could take sports shots for the school yearbook. It was in high school that he bought his first digital SLR and started earning money taking photographs for local papers.

“I love photography; I love the action of going out and capturing something,” he said. “I love shooting landscape, sports, portraits. I want to do it all.”

Fresh from the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara with a 2008 bachelor’s degree in photography, Mata is back in Austin developing a new business, winning awards and making a name for himself. 

Mata recently won the People’s Choice Award from the city of Austin for a photo he shot and developed of a bather at Barton Springs. The photo is now on permanent display at City Hall. Mata has also won recent awards for his photographs from Quill and Scroll, a high-school journalism society, and Jostens, a national publishing chain specializing in high-school yearbooks. 

Just starting his career, Mata already has some impressive listings on his resume. He is the house photographer for Austin’s Frank Erwin Center. He’s also worked as event photographer for Clear Channel Communications in San Antonio, photo editor for Scene and Heard magazine in Santa Barbara, the staff photographer for Kreutz Photography and photo editor of Paisano, the student newspaper at the University of Texas-San Antonio. Just now finished with a job for California Day Hikes to shoot photos for three different books, Mata took a few moments last week to reflect on where he wants to go with his dreams and talent.

What would be Mata’s dream job? Shooting for outdoor clothing and equipment king REI. 

“It’s what I did growing up,” he said. “I lived outdoors. With that kind of job you get the best of both worlds in photography. You get to do landscape shots and put people in them.”

Mata likes the fast-paced world of digital photography. He appreciates the tools software like Photoshop give photographers to make their shots exactly what they want. But modern advances have been a blessing and a curse for those who make their living behind the lens.

“Technology has changed so much in the last 10 years; it’s hard to make it professionally as a photographer today.” Mata said. “Not only are you competing with other photographers, but also with Mom and Dad who now have their own digital camera.”

Like talented artists in every genre, Mata doesn’t worry too much about the competition. There are times in family life, such as annual family photos, that call for a professional photographer. And Mata said there are plenty of opportunities in commercial photography, including shooting advertising or display art. 

Mata said there are some things everyone should do when working with images. 

“Taking that extra step in post production sets the really good professional photographers apart from the amateurs,” he said. “Keep it simple. Take everything out of the image that doesn’t help the image.”

Mata said it is important to pay attention to the small stuff when setting up a shoot.

“Be critical,” he said. “Notice the little things like hands and the direction of lighting on the face. Try to look at the image in front of you as a picture. Make sure the tie is straight and every hair is in place.”

In the end, it takes more than hard work and an eye for detail to take standout photos. It takes a gift, an instinct for the shot and empathy for people.

“Roy can bring the full spectrum of emotions to his viewer through his photos –some will bring smiles, some tears,” said Deanne Brown, a WHS photojournalism teacher. “Certainly, most will make you, at the very least, think. I think Roy’s strengths as a photographer include his way of showing common people in very uncommon and memorable ways.”

Excited about getting his business off the ground, Mata is looking for clients. He’s booking weddings, family events and journalism-related and commercial assignments. All of it fills him with anticipation. He’s a guy turning passion into a profession, curiosity into pictures that tell stories. 

“I like working with and meeting new people,” he said. “I get to see a lot of things that a other people don’t get to see. I catch it and turn it into something that can be shared with a lot of other people. Taking an image that tells a story about someone. That’s powerful stuff.”