Where to start with this one. I have loved, hated and just not cared about Indiana at different times in my life, and sometimes at the same time even. Last week I was in New York, Los Angeles, and then finally Fairmount. 

New York and LA are both really great cities. Cool places, everybody knows those places. Fairmount, isn’t quite as well known. I haven’t been back to Fairmount since the first week of January, so it’s been awhile. 

Coming back this past weekend, I’ve never felt such a love for Indiana hit me. As soon as I landed in the Indy airport at 6am on Friday morning it hit me. It was chilly out and the airport felt empty in comparison to LAX. As my mom drove me home and the sun rose, I could see the fields and country roads from the interstate. What a cool place. Felt worlds away from LA. The smell of the outdoors and freshly cut grass. Indiana put me on some kind of high this weekend, and as soon as I arrived, I had to go. Of course I made time to see family, friends, Grains and Grill, and Ivanhoe’s before I left.

This post makes it sound like I’ve never been to Indiana before, but that’s actually what it felt like when I returned. I lived in Indiana for 21 years, but i’ve never seen it as a special place until now.

Sunday morning at 6am I was back on a plane to Southern California and my Indiana escape was over. I had to leave Indiana to really appreciate it and I’m afraid if I moved back tomorrow that things wouldn’t be the same. Indiana wouldn’t have that glow. When you experience something every single day, it’s hard to not take it for granted. LA is a magical place as well, but I took Indiana like a drug this weekend and soaked up every bit of it while I could. 

Indiana folks, book me for a job and I’ll be on the next flight to Indy. For those of you that haven’t experienced Indiana, let me know and we’ll take a trip there. It’s worth it to escape the concrete kingdom of LA for awhile.

Matt Shouse

Photographer, Indiana kid

Hey Guys, 

So I’ve been working for an LA based fashion photographer since early September. And as a photographer I’m of course learning a lot from the guy I’m working for. I know his style and at the beginning and even up until recently I’ve tried to somewhat mimic his style. Which I think I had some good work, but it wasn’t really me. It was me trying to be more like someone else. This past week I worked with another photographer and his style was so different. I decided this weekend I was going to just shoot. Not think about what any one else was doing and just do what Matt wanted to do. So the photos above were me just messing around. Shooting what felt right to me at the moment. I think these are some of my favorite photos that i’ve shot this year thus far. They look pleasing to my eye and they feel more like me. 

At the end of the day everyone will tell you what to do, or how to do it. But I feel that being an artist is deciding what you want to do. Inform yourself of what others are doing, learn yourself and what you like then go make art instinctually. 

Matt Shouse

Studio Manager by day, Photographer by night

A friend of mine asked me “What’s the most magical place you’ve ever been?” The only place that really came to mind was Los Angeles. What’s funny is that I live in LA. I’ve been in love with LA ever since I first visited here in 2008. My love for LA has only increased since that first time. I returned to LA in February of 2013, then again in June of that year. Each time I would come to LA I would learn the city more and get to know people and what’s possible out here. I stayed out in LA for most of the summer of 2014, then booked some last minute jobs and returned in late August of that year. In August of 2015 I moved out here for a semester of school, then in January of this year I moved with some friends into the place I currently live at in Hollywood. 

The view from my balcony in Hollywood

Chris and Stephen at Griffith Observatory

I think the reason I love LA is less about the actual place and more about the opportunities, the possibilities. LA is a place where I’ve had days on photography sets, followed by film jobs, followed by an evening at the beach all within 20 miles of where I live. It truly feels like anything is possible here. I had to track down an old battery for a VHS camcorder at one point, which I figured I would only be able to find online, turns out there’s multiple battery stores in LA that carry such items. It’s all here, everything I could want really. 

Now I am pretty new to LA, so maybe my feelings will wear off. The nostalgia might fade.  It’s always crazy for my friends and I to be hanging at the beach or Griffith park and see everyone there on vacation. I live somewhere that people come for vacation. It’s cool and I don’t take it for granted. I’m not sure how long I’ll be in LA, but I’m going to enjoy every bit of it while I am here. 

- Matt