What got me into photography was urban and rural exploration. I’ve always been interested in abandoned and desolate places, and decided to photograph them with a point-and-shoot digital camera a few years ago. Once I started to get more serious about photography, I got my first DSLR in 2015. It was an entry level DSLR, but still way better than the digital camera I had been using. I spent a lot of time getting a feel for it; familiarizing myself with the settings and just walking around with it. Up until recently, my main subjects were abandoned places, city life, and occasionally nature. I had my first shoot with a model in the fall of 2017; it was a street shoot in Montréal. The dynamic of having one person being the focal point was a new experience and something that I enjoyed; communication and sharing ideas are key to getting solid shots. I also found out how stringent and subtle the editing had to be for people; getting rid of small abnormalities without crossing over into the overly airbrushed look is a fine balance, and it’s a process that becomes easier with each shoot. ~Matthew Pavouris