Matt Payne is a full-time professional landscape photographer, podcast host, and co-founder of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards. Based in Durango, Colorado, Matt’s work is deeply rooted in a lifelong connection to the Colorado wilderness. Known for his dramatic grand landscapes and more recently for his exploration of quieter, intimate scenes, Matt blends artistic vision with a background in clinical psychology to create photographs that are both visually stunning and emotionally engaging.

Through his long-running podcast F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, he has interviewed hundreds of the world’s top nature photographers and built a thriving community around ethical, meaningful photography. He also leads international photography workshops with Muench Workshops and is a passionate educator on the art and craft of making expressive images.