Hello, I'm Mat and I'm a Photographer and Filmmaker based between Edinburgh and London, working throughout the U.K. and internationally. I produce both commercial and documentary projects, with a special interest in rural industries and communities, outdoor activities, and the relationships between humans and the environment.

My work has been selected for a variety of awards, publications, and exhibitions in locations including Los Angeles, New York, Quebec, Vancouver, Sydney, Melbourne, Seoul, Budapest, Hyderabad, Bristol, Derry, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. My latest long-term project La Chinampería was recently published by The Guardian and exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery in London.

Alongside my photography and film projects I work as a stills Lighting Director collaborating with global brands, fashion houses, and film studios, specialise in Key Art campaigns for films and TV, with clients including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Warner Bros, SKY, and Disney.

I’m also a qualified drone pilot.

If you have a project you would like to discuss I’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch through email at:

info@mat-hay.com

Alternatively send a message here:

Content on this website is © Copyright Mat Hay 2025 All Rights Reserved

No images or content by Mat Hay on this site or any other platform may be read by Artificial Intelligence / AI or used for AI training

Awards & Exhibitions

2025

La Chinampería: Royal Photographic Society International Photography Exhibition at The Saatchi Gallery, London

2024

La Chinampería: Solo exhibition at Eden Court, Inverness.

2022

A Heather Burn: (5 images) Royal Photographic Society International Photography Exhibition IPE162, Museum of Gloucester, England

2021

A Heather Burn: (5 images) Royal Photographic Society International Photography Exhibition IPE162, The Museum of Somerset, Taunton, England

2020

A Heather Burn: (5 images) Royal Photographic Society International Photography Exhibition IPE162, showing at RPS House and Beverly Art Gallery, England, and Oriel Art Gallery in Wales.

Alice and Sarah, from Glen Lyon (A Heather Burn): Portrait of Humanity Global Tour. State Art Gallery, Hyderabad, India

Alice and Sarah, from Glen Lyon (A Heather Burn): Portrait of Humanity Global Tour. Capa Center, Budapest, Hungary

Jamie, Beat Keeper with Horse, from Ullapool (A Heather Burn): Winner - Portrait of Britain

Kathy, Veterinary Clinical Pathologist and Shepherdess, from Oklahoma (A Heather Burn): Winner - Portrait of Britain

Iain, Shepherd, from Colonsay (A Heather Burn): Shortlisted - Portrait of Britain

Alice and Sarah, from Glen Lyon (A Heather Burn): Winner - Portrait of Humanity

2019

Alice and Sarah, from Glen Lyon (A Heather Burn): Winner - Life Framer ‘Youthhood’ competition

2018

Lightwaves: (Full Project) VU Photography Centre, Quebec, Canada

Lightwaves: (Full Project) Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow, Scotland

2017

A Heather Burn: (8 images) Head On Photography Festival 2017, Paddington Reservoir Gardens, Sydney, Australia

A Heather Burn: (10 images) Flow Fotofest 2017, Eden Court, Inverness, Scotland

Horse Bath (A Heather Burn): Fotofilmic 16, Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne, Australia.

Memorial, Greenock: (The Orchard View) The Jill Todd Photography Award 2016, Nerve Centre, Derry, Northern Ireland

Horse Bath: (A Heather Burn) Fotofilmic 16. Burrard Arts Foundation, Vancouver, Canada. 

2016 

Horse Bath: (A Heather Burn) Fotofilmic 16. DNJ Gallery, Los Angeles, USA.

Memorial, Greenock: (The Orchard View) The Jill Todd Photography Award 2016, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland

The Orchard View: Highly Commended - The Jill Todd Photography Award 2016

The Orchard View: (Full Project) The Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock, Scotland.

The Messenger (4 images): Young Artists, The Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Hugo, from Glen Lyon (A Heather Burn): Fotofilmic 15, Space 22 Gallery, Seoul, Korea.

A Heather Burn: (5 images) The Jill Todd Photography Award 2015, Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries, Scotland.

2015

Hugo, from Glen Lyon (A Heather Burn): Fotofilmic 15, Burrard Arts Foundation, Vancouver, Canada.

A Heather Burn: (5 images) The Jill Todd Photography Award 2015, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland.

A Heather Burn: Winner, 2nd Prize - The Jill Todd Photography Award 2015

Hugo, from Glen Lyon (A Heather Burn): Fotofilmic 15, Sous Les Etoiles Gallery, New York, USA.

True Hunting’s Over : Magenta Foundation Flash Forward Award 2015, Division Gallery, Toronto, Canada

True Hunting’s Over: Winner - Magenta Foundation Flash Forward Award 2015

True Hunting’s Over : Aesthetica Art Prize 2015, York St Mary’s, York, England

True Hunting’s Over: The Jill Todd Photographic Award 2014, Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries, Scotland.

2014

True Hunting’s Over: The Jill Todd Photographic Award 2014, Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow, Scotland.

True Hunting’s Over: Highly Commended - The Jill Todd Photographic Award 2014

The Messenger: Aesthetica Art Prize 2014, York St Mary’s, York, England.

2013

The Messenger: (4 images) FutureProof 2013, Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow, Scotland.

The Messenger: (Full Project) Free Range 2013, The Truman Brewery, London, England.

 2012

The Messenger: Vignette Awards, Photographique, Bristol, England.

CHINA (Solo Show) Under the Stairs, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Residencies

 2018

Lightwaves International Residency Exchange

Four-week residency at VU Photography Centre, Quebec, Canada. In collaboration with Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow.

2016 - 2017

Orchard View

Six-month solo residency, commissioned by NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde with support from creative consultants Wide Open.

Books

 2020

Portrait of Britain (3 images) Hoxton Mini Press

Portrait of Humanity  (1 image) Hoxton Mini Press

 Collections

The Royal Photographic Society