Ambassador Matt's advice: "Just do it."

It's about time that you get to know our Ambassador Matt properly. Therefore we asked him 11 interview questions, which he answered (always as we are used to from him) in an authentic-relaxed way. Always with an honest laugh and a lot of creativity in his head, he makes it incredibly easy for us to work with him.

Matt specializes in outdoor, adventure and lifestyle photography, which you can see on his Instagram channel or on its Website can see well. His pictures speak for themselves as well as his uncomplicated manner.

We are very proud of Matt and that he will be our Ambassador in Jordan. With much anticipation for June 05, 2022, we are eagerly awaiting the incredible impressions he will share with us. Since collaborations for us mean working with people who are authentic, we know that in Matt we have found someone who will reflect an honest picture of our journey. So stay tuned for what's to come - maybe he can inspire you as much as he inspired us.

To get a better picture of Matt, we heartily recommend reading through his charming and amusing interview. In just 11 questions you will get to know @Mat_chec a little better.

Hey Matt, you've been to over 35 countries and are a talented photographer making your dream your profession. Would you say that's your source of inspiration and if so, why?

Until now, I still work at Mercedes Benz in development and have a normal office job. So I do photography on the side, it's a good balance to everyday life. I can't quite live off it yet, but I can finance my travels quite well with it.

So of course it's clear that travel is an inspiration for me in terms of my photography. I've been taking pictures since I was a teenager. Back then I just "snapped around" and when traveling I just wanted to capture the memories and moments.

At some point I came across Instagram and saw all the great photos there. Thus, I have gradually trained myself in photography... This did not happen overnight, but was a long-term process. Even today I'm still learning a lot of new things.

Thus, Instagram was a great inspiration. I met a lot of cool people through it, who are now also my best friends. We share the same passion and support each other wherever we can. 

What do you love most about traveling? What inspires you to go out into the unknown again and again?

I just love to be on the road and see new places and cultures. Even if it's nice at home, I get bored quickly and I just have to get out. Even if it's just the weekend with my Bulli in the Allgäu.

On your many adventures you have certainly encountered a lot of unknowns, what is one of your absolute highlights?

Oh dear..there are so many things ^^ What I always remember very fondly is the following scenario:
In 2012, I was on a road trip through the Eastern Bloc with two friends. We started from Trier, Germany, with stops in Austria, Hungary and Romania. Then we continued via Slovakia to Poland. It was the day of the European Championship opening match between Poland and Greece. We really wanted to watch the game and went to the nearest town. We ended up at a public viewing on a market square.

Since my buddy had loud German flags on the windows of the car, we immediately attracted attention. Shortly after we ordered the first beer, we were asked by a group of people our age where we came from. Since I was born in Poland and speak fluent Polish, I told them we were on a road trip and still wanted to go to Ukraine. We were invited directly to their table and one of them ordered a bottle of vodka.

When we were asked where we would sleep, I told them that we had always camped on the trip so far. But that didn't seem acceptable, so one of them said: "No way with tents. We drink today properly and you are my guests..you sleep today with me." So long story short...we drank vodka with the Poles the whole evening (I know this from many family celebrations, but my two 'Alman friends' didn't know such a thing and had never really drunk vodka before ^^). It ended so that the two woke up in the morning in the apartment, with a huge hangover and full of painted Polish flags on the face.

What I found special was that our host really lived very poorly. He lived together with his mother in the smallest room in a prefabricated building, there was no hot water, etc.. And yet he invited us to his place and even made us breakfast. I appreciated that very much and I remember it very fondly.

And the worst? Is there a moment or place you absolutely regret traveling to?

Honestly...nope. I haven't experienced anything really negative on my travels yet 🙂.

I had at most once a place that was a little different than you imagined. Or rather, I tapp with my naivety and credulity into a tourist trap pure, ... also happens sometimes. But then of course you make the best of your situation.

What comes to mind is once where friends and I got a fat case of food poisoning in Norway. We were three only with the car and a tent on the road. One evening all at once became sick, the rest you can imagine yourself... The next day we had to get the ferry to Denmark. I then boarded 8 hours with fever and stomach cramps to Oslo to catch the ferry.

There were nice swells at night, which did not make the situation any better. Once we arrived in Denmark, we still had 12 hours of driving home ahead of us. That was not quite so brilliant. Me and a friend was better after 2 days, my buddy was even a week in the hospital, it had unfortunately really torn.

If you could/had to choose one of your visited destinations to live in, which would it be and why?

Phew, that's a very difficult question to answer, I couldn't make up my mind. I love the south of France. Preferably small fishing villages. But also Scandinavia like Norway - especially Lofoten or Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The nature there is exactly my thing. But I'd rather sweat than freeze. The perfect place would be something like a mix of Lofoten and the Faroe Islands only with 30 °C in summer - and I love it so much when the sun never sets there in summer.

Your first trip as an official ambassador will take you to Jordan. What fascinates you most about Jordan? What do you expect from the adventure with TripLegend?

Definitely: the food! I have a colleague who comes from there. And she loves to bring me new dishes to try all the time. But of course also the culture and the landscape. I'm really looking forward to Amman, Petra and Wadi Rum.

I think that will also be a really cool troop and therefore not a coffee trip 😛 

You have already expressed fascination with our trip to Nepal, why is this destination also a dream trip for you?

For me, who loves trekking as well as climbing mountains, Nepal is simply the final boss. I always wanted to go to the Himalayas, at least see Mount Everest or stand at the foot of the mountain. But also to visit the Buddhist monasteries and meet the monks - your itinerary for Nepal is just really cool and varied.

Photographically, Nepal would be simply beautiful. Unfortunately, I have not yet managed to travel there. But that's definitely coming!

Looking back on your photography career, what was one of your most fascinating moments and why?

There are also so some. A few years ago I was alone for almost 2 weeks on Senja and the Lofoten. You can really stop there almost at every corner and take pictures.

I really wanted to go up a mountain to one of the most beautiful views there. It has stormed on the day really violently. But that couldn't stop me; I went up the mountain anyway. I mean, if you're already there, right? The last meters you had to climb properly, which was not quite without, especially because everything was wet and slippery. After a good 3 hours I arrived at the top and was completely soaked.

I had to realize that nothing could be seen. Everything was completely covered with clouds and fog. Say, there was a short break, and then I hiked down again for 3 hours. Partly sliding on the backside.

Arrived down I had to put on first dry clothes and eat something! During this, the weather has loosened up (on, the Lofoten the weather really changes every 5 minutes. You can stand in the deepest storm and 5 minutes later you have bright sunshine). I checked the weather on my cell phone and it looked quite good for the next few hours. So what to do? Back up of course 😀

Thus, I struggled 3 hours back up and then I had one of the most beautiful sunsets ever. The scenery looked like Mordor from Lord of the Rings. I sat then still a while on top of the mountain and enjoyed the view. Sometimes you just have to torture yourself a bit to shoot some good photos.

As a seasoned traveler, do you have an absolute travel hack for our readers?                                                                   

Just step out of your comfort zone and don't be too cerebral. Just do it. Travel alone and be on your own. I think that brings you personally further in life.

My pro-tip: be there early at sunrise at popular spots. Often you have the spots for yourself.

I can also recommend Couchsurfing. I have met so cool people who take you to places that you would not have so on the screen. In the south of France, my host took me on a motorcycle tour and to a night flea market. And in Norway, a girl I slept with took me on a 3-day hut tour with her friends. I would never have had that without Couchsurfing.

Do you have a recommendation for those who are not yet professional photographers but would like to take beautiful photos on their travels?

Go out and just take photos. Try to copy photos from your favorite photographers in the beginning. That's what I did when I first started out. Watch tutorials on YouTube, that will also help you a lot. Don't buy an expensive camera right away, equipment is often overrated. It does not automatically make good photos. So in my experience, a cheap beginner camera is often enough.

Another tip would be to work with natural light. But for this you have to be ready to get up early. The best light is before and during sunrise as well as (of course) at sunset.

Then there would be still pay inspiration from coffee table books or Instagram / other platforms. It increases your own creativity!

And the most important thing is not to compare yourself with other photographers and think that you take bad photos and will never get to the same level. It's a long process and the more you "train", the better you get. Patience is key. 

Bonus question: how did you come up with your Instagram name @Mat_Chec, which our readers can follow your TripLegend adventure under?

Öhmm..there I was really, really creative...is ne abbreviation from my first and last name - I think I will rename it sometime in heymatt, that sounds a little more professional. 😀

More about our Jordan trip you can see on our website or have a look at the interview with Ambassador Lizzy who will also be exploring Jordan with us.