Matt Black: The Documentary Realist Mapping Poverty Through Stark Monochrome Introduction Matt Black, born in California’s Central Valley, is one of the leading voices in contemporary documentary photography. His work focuses on poverty, migration, inequality, and environmental decline across the United States and Latin America. With his signature high-contrast black-and-white aesthetic, Black creates images that feel timeless, weighty, and deeply human. A longtime Magnum Photos member, Black’s work blends geographic data, long-form research, and visual storytelling. Most notably, his multi-year project “The Geography of Poverty” traveled more than 100,000 miles across the U.S., mapping communities living below the poverty line. His photographs are not sensational; they are empathetic, deliberate, and grounded in lived reality. Black’s images serve as a powerful record of the invisible American landscapes where hardship is woven into everyday life, but dignity endures. Camera ...