Carolina’s Matthew Troyer channels his veteran experience into photography
A master of fine arts student, Matthew Troyer is channeling his experience in the Marine Corps to create photography that shares the military experience with the civilian population and fellow veterans.
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Ever since high school, Matthew Troyer has been drawn to photography and videography.
He followed that passion to community college and then to the Marine Corps, where he served for nine years as a combat photographer. After six years of deployments and three years teaching photography to his fellow Marines, his craft has led Troyer to Carolina to pursue a master’s degree in fine arts.
“I found a voice for my military experience in this lens-based media, which has really been a blessing in dealing with my own experiences and also engaging with the veteran community and the civilian populace,” he said.
As a Tar Heel, he’s taken advantage of mentorship and resources at Carolina to dive deeper into his art and use photography to tell the stories of more veterans.
“I try to present themes of what it’s like serving so that people who didn’t serve can get a better understanding, and then for military members who were in, they can see themselves represented in art,” Troyer said.
