@santomarco

Introduce yourself and say where you’re from.

Howdy — my name is Matt Santomarco, and I was born and raised in Colorado.

What is it about the American West that keeps pulling you back creatively?

I photograph the American West because it feels timeless, like stepping into a living memory. There’s a quiet romance in its past, etched into the land, and a rawness that strips everything back.

What’s the most physically challenging place you’ve gone just to get a shot?

There’s a small, very remote lake I photographed in the San Juans that offered a picturesque view of some prominent peaks. Getting there was difficult — there’s no marked trail, and it required miles of bushwhacking through marshy wetlands and rock scrambling. I’ve only seen this spot photographed by maybe 10 other photographers.

What keeps you shooting film in 2026?

There’s something about the natural textures I can pull out of film that I can’t get from digital. Those details really create my aesthetic.

If you had to stop photographing tomorrow, what would you feel you left unfinished?

Getting the “perfect shot” from all of my favorite locations. If I could just get the weather to do what I need every time, I wouldn’t have to keep going back…