about me:
I am an LA-born engineer, currently living in Dallas. This website represents a little bit of commercial work I've done, mostly outside my engineering career, and a whole lot of stuff I've done along the way for fun. I don't generally believe in artists' statements, but I will say this: photography and design to me are very closely related to engineering; both are about surveying the vast breadth of what is possible and capturing the combinations that are especially beautiful.
a note on usage of photos:
All original works on hine.org are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. This sounds complicated -- and please do click the link to learn more about the details -- but it's quite simple:
Feel free to use my photos however you like, with the only restriction being that you must attribute the photo (or its use in your own works) to Matthew Hine, with a link back to hine.org if it is for the web. Although not strictly required, I would also appreciate you let me know what you're using my images for; I have higher-resolution versions available that I will likely make available for free if you ask. Use the email link above if you'd like to contact me.
Why have I have chosen to use the Creative Commons license? Certainly I have little to lose by making my amateurish images freely available -- although I believe there are good arguments to be made about the business sense of doing so -- but more importantly I want to encourage their entry into the public domain, not hinder it.
Few seem to remember that the goal of copyright was to encourage the creation of new works, to enter the public domain where they can enrich and advance our society. A creator was granted a limited monopoly on the sale of his works so that he might release those works without fear of those with greater access to the means of duplication cutting him out of the deal. Today, despite the remarkably cheap and available means of quickly spreading works of visual and written arts to the world, copyright terms have been lengthened, not shortened. Most works created during the lives of people living today remain locked up, and may remain so in perpetuity unless strong measures are taken to redirect our laws toward the public good, rather than maximized profits for those who can afford to lobby for greater protections.
The least I can do is express my support for the public domain by releasing my works, such as they are, with a very loose Creative Commons license. I would like recognition for what I do, but I strongly encourage others to use them however they like.
