A Johnstown native who has called Altoona home for 25 years has received recognition from the prestigious online photography magazine reFocus for his captivating nighttime street photography. Matt Gindlesperger, 43, who serves as a member of the Altoona Zoning Hearing Board, was honored as the 2025 recipient of the magazine's People's Vote Award for street photography. His winning portfolio features stunning night shots of Altoona captured with nothing more than a Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphone.
"I'm not a full-time photographer, nor a professional by any stretch," Gindlesperger said modestly. "Just a guy with a cellphone and a hobby."
Despite his humble self-assessment, Gindlesperger's work has struck a chord with viewers and critics alike. In the narrative and interview accompanying his award-winning series in reFocus magazine, both Gindlesperger and the magazine's editors emphasize his unique artistic vision: he is drawn to photograph subjects that are often overlooked, forgotten, dismissed, or discounted.
The accompanying editorial material uses the word "overlook" seven times literally, while numerous other phrases reinforce this theme of finding beauty in the forgotten: "the in-betweens," "what stays after dark," "things that feel like they're still holding on," "little corners people pass by without looking," "parts of the city that only reveal themselves when no one's really watching," "the quality of showing up even when nobody's looking," "forgotten corners," "things that feel small but say a lot if you stop and look," "moments that feel a little lonely," "tucked under there, asleep," and "where nobody's paying attention."
Gindlesperger's artistic philosophy stems from his own personal experiences and the way he sees the world transform in darkness. "In the middle-of-the-night dark, when he takes his pictures in the city, things are different, because the hustle and bustle of crowds is gone," he explained in a recent phone interview. "I chase what stays after dark," he told reFocus.
This attraction to overlooked subjects has deep roots in Gindlesperger's childhood experiences. Growing up, he attended St. Benedict's Elementary School in Johnstown from kindergarten through eighth grade, followed by a year at Bishop McCort High School in Johnstown. Those early school years were challenging for the young artist.
"I was one of the kids in school who was picked on," Gindlesperger recalled. "For my hair and complexion, my upbringing – I'm not from an affluent family, and I was on scholarship to pay my tuition."
As the son of a white father and a Black mother, Gindlesperger was raised by his mother after his parents divorced when he was young. The bullying he experienced in school shaped not only his character but also his artistic sensibilities.
"Perhaps because of the way he was treated in school, he tended to befriend folks that most people make fun of," he reflected. "I was drawn to the outcasts, and didn't want to follow the crowd."
Fortunately, Gindlesperger's high school experience improved dramatically when he transferred to Johnstown Vo-Tech for his final three years. "That is where I came out of my shell," he said. "I found out who I was – not so much what people had labeled me."
At Vo-Tech, he encountered a more diverse student body that included "more darker complected folks, to whom he hadn't been exposed much previously." This environment proved transformative: "They looked like me and acted like me," he said, "and he was more comfortable."
Despite being raised by a mother who taught him "to speak his mind and not to cower before the opinions of others," Gindlesperger initially struggled with sharing his photography publicly. "I was self-conscious how they would be viewed," he admitted, adding that he "didn't feel like his work would be up to snuff, especially given his lack of professional credentials and professional equipment."
However, encouragement from family and friends eventually persuaded him to share his work. "When I did, it kind of blew up unexpectedly," he said.
The recent award recognition hasn't fundamentally changed Gindlesperger's approach to his craft. While it has provided valuable validation, he remains committed to his original motivation: "I do it for myself," he stated. He plans to continue taking pictures regardless of future feedback or recognition.
Gindlesperger's journey into night photography began organically, without any intention of creating a formal project. As he told reFocus, "It began as a way to handle seasonal depression and restlessness." In his interview with the Mirror, he elaborated that this depression and restlessness "stemmed from the weight of my professional career then, as an operations manager at a manufacturing facility in Bedford County, where he felt there were unreasonable expectations he had to meet."
Walking the streets during these difficult times, he began taking shots of "things I thought were cool." His artistic goal is simple yet profound: he wants viewers "to see what he saw and to make them feel something." Gindlesperger regards his photography as art comparable to "poems or songs," explaining that "it carries the same amount of weight in terms of feelings or mood."
Currently, Gindlesperger works as operations manager for Leonardo DRS in Johnstown and holds a business degree from the University of the People, an online college.
The magazine that honored Gindlesperger, reFocus, describes itself as "a platform to discover the most distinctive visual professionals, artists, and industry leaders of our time." According to the publication, it is "designed to showcase the artistic visions of our community first and to get our participants noticed."
The awards program is managed by Creative Resource Collective, which was established in 2020 with ambitious goals of "providing resources, recognition, exposure, and community for photographers around the world."
The credibility of reFocus is underscored by its impressive panel of judges, which includes representatives from major media and cultural institutions: ABC News, Phaedon Press, Shutterstock, Whistler Contemporary Gallery, Wired, Conde Nast Publications, Getty Images, GO Gallery, Gilman Contemporary, Ripple Effect Images, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Leica Gallery LA, Photoville, PhotoVisa, the Nikon School, and National Geographic Society.
Gindlesperger's award-winning portfolio includes evocative nighttime images of several Altoona landmarks. His photographs capture the Mishler Theatre bathed in atmospheric nighttime lighting, a downtown Altoona sign glowing in the darkness, and the beloved local institution Texas Hot Dog Shop after hours. Each image in his "Altoona After Dark" series reveals the quiet beauty and hidden character of familiar places transformed by darkness and solitude.
For those interested in viewing Gindlesperger's complete award-winning portfolio, the spread can be found by searching online for "Gindlesperger Altoona After Dark" or by visiting streetphotographymagazine.com, where "Altoona After Dark" is currently featured on the second page of the Latest Articles section. The direct link to the feature is https://streetphotographymagazine.com/article/altoona-after-dark/.
Gindlesperger's story represents more than just artistic recognition; it's a testament to finding beauty in unexpected places, the power of perseverance, and the way personal struggles can inform and enrich artistic vision. His success with basic equipment also demonstrates that compelling art comes not from expensive gear, but from a unique perspective and the courage to share one's vision with the world.
