About

Matthew Oldfield started his career as a Zoologist, graduating from Worcester College, Oxford University, with a degree in Biology.  However, academia soon lost its attraction and since leaving university in 1993, Matthew has been heavily involved in both photography and diving.  He acted as Science Officer for a reef-survey expedition to Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, in 1994, before joining Science Photo Library as a Picture Researcher.  In 1996 he worked for one year as a dive guide on the fabled island of Sipadan in the Celebes Sea, where he finally realised that life in the UK was no longer for him.  After a short stint back in the UK with Corbis as a picture researcher in 1997, he returned to Sabah and the island of Mabul to join Scubazoo as a photopro.

Matthew has had articles published in Asian Geographic, Asian Diver, Scuba Diver Australasia, FiNS Magazine and Scuba Globe, and photo credits in a huge variety of publications through his stock agent in the UK, Science Photo Library.  He also wrote and provided images for both books published by Scubazoo – ‘Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai – Sabah’s Underwater Treasure’ by Natural History Publications and ‘Reef’ by Dorling Kindersley – and was commissioned to shoot for two other books published by Dorling Kindersley – ‘Go Dive’ and ‘Go Surf’.  During his stint based out of Sabah, he worked as a cameraman on the first UK ‘Survivor’ show and Channel 5’s ‘Killer Shark Live’, and acted as location manager/fixer for productions including ‘Life in the Undergrowth’, ‘The Jeff Corwin Experience’ and ‘Austin Stevens – Snake Master’.

After 10 years in Sabah, Matthew Oldfield made the decision to go freelance and is now available for commissions anywhere in the world.  His experience shooting underwater, adventure, travel, natural history and promotional photography, combined with his extensive knowledge of locations and subjects throughout SE Asia and beyond, means he is capable of delivering stunning imagery, whatever the brief, and wherever the location.

If you interested in commissioning Matthew, please email with details and dates of your project.