Matt Payne is a full-time nature and landscape photographer living in Durango, Colorado. In 2018, Matt completed his life-long goal of climbing the highest 100 mountains in Colorado, where his love of photography was kindled. Since 2017, Matt has hosted a weekly podcast dedicated to nature photography called “F-Stop Collaborate and Listen.” Matt is also the co-founder of Nature First Photography, an organization that was created in 2018 to help increase ethical awareness in nature photography. Lastly, Matt is the co-creator of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards, an international photography competition which rewards and celebrates nature photographers who dedicate themselves to photographing and editing their work in a realistic fashion. Lastly, Matt is also a professional for Meunch Workshops, where he leads photography workshops all over the world.When not engaged in some sort of photography project, Matt can be found hiking, backpacking, or watching sports. Matt lives with his wife Angela, his teenage son Quinn, and his four cats, Juju, Chara, Arrow, and Vestal.