Portrait Session | Peter Matthiessen

Peter Matthiessen, author, conservationist.

“The Hamptons” Eastern Long Island, NY.

I was hired by the Atkinson Center at Cornell University to shoot images of Peter Matthiessen at his home in the Hamptons. After an hour drive from Manhattan, I finally pull up a dusty driveway and I immediately feel full of questions. I’m only there for a quick headshot, but it’s hard to not want to know more about this fascinating man.

As I begin to unload equipment, I hear a creaky front door open and see Peter Matthiessen making his way out to greet me. …

Before I shoot anything, we walk inside and he proceeds to show me around. I think he could tell that I was a lover of stories by the questions I was asking and he was obviously a great story teller!

I learned of his travels around Africa, his love of nature and adventure. The images that we ended up using were actually taken on the way out. As we were saying goodby, I saw how the outside of his home represented how I saw him: outdoorsy, and full of interesting texture. These were the images that we all (Atkinson Center, Peter Matthiessen, and myself) liked best. After the shoot, someone from the center let me know that he doesn’t typically enjoy being photographed and can be difficult to work with. I didn’t have that impression at all as we laughed and told stories the whole time!

Not long after the session, I heard that Peter Matthiessen had passed away. I am grateful to have been able to cross paths with him even if just for a moment.