Behind the Lens

Hey there!

My name is Matt Hagen, the photographer and owner of Hagen Photography. I wanted to take a moment to share a part of my story and the mission behind this business.

When I was 19, I traveled out of North America for the first time, to Vietnam. This was such an eye-opening experience for me. My appreciation for the richness of other cultures deepened as I became immersed in a way of life that contrasted with my own, yet in a lot of ways was very similar. After experiencing Vietnam’s unique blend of history and culture, my itch to continue to connect with people from all around the world through loving and meaningful shared experiences in their home environments only grew. 

Since that first trip, as I continued to travel more, my hasty photographs became more poised, and I realized that the camera could be a medium for capturing beautiful places and cultures and sharing peoples' stories from behind my lens. Stories that may not otherwise be told. By sharing my photographs, I hope to not only share moments with others but help people find the beauty in the world where they may not have looked, as well as reconnect the often-sterile feel of our homes with the rich complexity found out in our natural habitat.

What started as a humble hobby I partook in alone has now turned into a humble fine art business, with the help of my wife, who I could not do this without. Together, through our adventures, both traveling the world and remote backpacking, we aim to capture moments that elicit stories to be shared as well as bring the outdoors inside to help people reconnect with nature. 

Now, we want to take this business forward by combining our passion for nature and travel with giving back to our neighbors through proven and immensely impactful non-profit partners. In order to facilitate both of these passions, we are contributing to two non-profit organizations: The Nature Project and Doctors without Borders. 25% of the net revenue from each purchase made goes towards either of these organizations (more information found on our home page). We hope that through this practice we can further our vision: To be the most charitable fine art gallery in the world. 

Thank you for stopping by and for your support of Hagen Photography and our mission. All glory to God.

- Matt