Mateo Chacon - Photographer
Hello! My name is Mateo (Mat) Chacon. I've been lucky enough to live a life that can be the screenshots of a full-scale riot. I'm a recovering CEO turned award-winning documentary photojournalist. My work has been exhibited internationally and published by The Smithsonian, The Royal Photographic Society, Getty Images, Leica Fotografie International, Airbnb, and many others. I pride myself on being a "never quit" visual storyteller with a lifetime of experiences and adventures that I'm sure will send me to hell on a full scholarship. But for now... this is as close as it gets to Heaven.
Before becoming a photographer I was a successful software executive and entrepreneur. I helped start the software company US Web Corporation and participated in their $63 million IPO. After a successful career building software companies in Arizona and Washington state, I concluded my career as CEO and founder of a profitable spatial computing company in Seattle that won the Greenlight Insights award for most innovative enterprise application, with customers that included Harvard, MIT, and the formerly named U.S. Department of Defense (now Department of War). I took a short break in-between all this, post-9/11, to dive into the world of counterintelligence, which sparked my interest in conflict photography. A life-threatening injury caused me to reevaluate my path. I sold my Bellevue condo, significantly downsized, and dedicated my life to following my passion for photography.
I've been fortunate enough to have my photos shown in Leica Fotografie International online as Leica Master Shots, distributed and sold by Getty Images & the NUR Photo Agency, featured internationally in photography and fine art publications such as The Photo Review Journal of Fine Art Photography, exhibited in galleries globally, promoted through corporate collaborations with customers including Airbnb, and featured by The Smithsonian Magazine and The Royal Photographic Society.
I am also happy to be a 2023 recipient of a postgraduate bursary funded by the Royal Photographic Society and MPB.com to continue my project documenting the reproductive rights of people on their journeys through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) therapies to achieve parenthood through science.
I have a Master of Arts degree in Photography with honors from Falmouth University (ranked number 1 arts university in the UK.). I've also completed studies in Photojournalism with the New York Institute of Photography, and Commercial & Fine Art Photography with Speos International Photography School in Paris, France.
I'm a certified commercial drone pilot, a member of The National Press Photographer's Association, The International Association of Press Photographers, and am an Accredited Photographer with The Association of Photographers.
I've leveraged my experience as a photojournalist and conflict photographer to capture images for international sporting events including marathons, cycling, and obstacle course races. Same kit, same skills, fewer bullets.
Though I didn't seek out to become a professional photographer, I wouldn't change a thing. Photography feeds my soul and has taken me around the world, meeting and photographing the beautiful, strange, and interesting people that inhabit it, and then showing their stories.
Education
2024
Falmouth University, Cornwall, England.
Master of Arts Degree in Photography.
Graduated with honors.
2022
SPEOS Photography School, Paris, France.
Commercial + Fine Art Photography.
2020
New York Institute of Photography, New York, NY.
Photojournalism.
Pre-2018
Software executive and CEO with proven track record of fund raising, profit, and global awards.
Harvard Business School.
Rutgers Business School - Mini MBA in Social Media Marketing.
American Military University - Counterintelligence.
DoD Advisor - Tactical Athlete Leadership Board (formerly the Human Dimensions Support Services Think Tank) - Recruited to advise the U.S. Department of Defense (now Department of War) on active task orders and forward-looking capabilities of the elite warfighter and tactical athlete.
(IDIQ: ID0418014)
Worked extensively with every branch of the U.S. Military and contractors - specifically the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). I could tell you what I did, but I'd have to kill you... and you'd die for a really boring reason.
Awards
2025
Royal Photographic Society - Awarded by the Archeology & Heritage Special Interest Group for my photo exhibition and talk on how I've visually documented global conflicts affecting heritage.
2025
100% 5 Star rated Airbnb photographer and rated as a "Popular" photographer across all Airbnb photography services / experiences.
2025
Airbnb - Selected as one of the first 100 photographers worldwide to host photography experiences for Airbnb guests and hosts in their new 2025 app rollout.
2024
NUR Photo - Selected as official documentary photojournalist visually documenting news across Pacific Northwest.
2023
Postgraduate Bursary Award for Photojournalism, Royal Photographic Society.
2022
Top 10 Finalist Winner, Smithsonian Magazine 19th Annual Photo Contest (American Experience).
2021
Leica Master Shot, Leica Q Gallery, Leica Fotografie International.
2020
Leica Master Shot, Street Gallery, Leica Fotografie International.
2020
Exhibitions
2025
Royal Photographic Society - Heritage Under Fire: A Photojournalist's Frontline Testimony - Photography exhibition and talk on how I've visually documented global conflicts affecting heritage.
2024
IVF Anonymous, Permanent Commercial Solo Exhibition at RMA Health in Bellevue, WA.
2024
After Action, The SODO Gallery
2023
[r]EVOLUTION, The Rainier Club
2023
Conflict Photography, The Columbia Tower Club
2023
Life In Conflict, Lumen Field
2023
Gilded, Frequency Gallery
2023
Democracy In Distress, Innervisions
2023
Analogue, Seattle Records
2022
Downtown To Downrange, Seattle Rotary Club
2022
Downtown To Downrange, Cornish College of The Arts
2022
IM/MATERIAL Worlds, Landings 22 Cornwall, England
2022
Theater of War, The SODO Gallery
2021
The Seattle CHOP, The Photo Review Journal of Fine Art Photography
Land-Scape, The SODO Gallery
2019
Seattle Street Photography, Photographic Center Northwest
Publications
Airbnb
NUR Photo
Smithsonian Magazine
Getty Images
Leica Fotografie International (online)
The Photo Review Journal of Fine Art Photography
The Royal Photographic Society
Shotkit.com
Seattle Rainier Club
Seattle Columbia Tower Club
Seattle Rotary Club
Decorus Art
Innervisions Seattle
Seattle Records
Frequency Freemont
Spartan Race
Tough Mudder
Seattle Marathon
MarathonFoto
Sportograf
Professional Credentials
National Press Photographer's Association
Member ID: 193435334
The Association of Photographers
Accredited Photographer (Member ID: 14482)
Getty Images
Stock Photographer (Contributor ID: 691210)
International Association of Press Photographers
Photojournalist (Member ID: US/8-l-39623)