“I grew up in small town in the south of Germany and got into photography when I started skateboarding and snowboarding at a very young age. I took my dads Camcorder out to film my friends on DIY skate spots and the mountains. When I finally safed up for my first digital camera at the age of 13 i started taking photos of everything around me.

After I graduated from school I started traveling which got me into surfing and therefore into surf photography. After I spent some time traveling I started working for Puresurfcamps in 2012, which was my first paid job as a photo assistant. I realized that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

In 2014 i started to study Screen Based Media in Berlin, specializing in photography in cinematography. I still managed to spend most of my free time traveling and shooting as a freelance photographer during this time. When I finished my bachelors degree Puresurfcamps offered me a full-time job which allowed me to travel the world to shoot and surf.15 months later I became Head of Marketing.

Now it is time for a new chapter, taking a step back and refocusing on my photography and love for film. I now work as a freelance photographer and videographer – that’s what I love to do”

– Matze Ried