the idea

Hello. My name is Matt Wade and I’m a photographer, web designer and founder of Compassion Gallery. This website was born out of my love for photography and my desire to help people in need around the world.

As I’ve traveled in search of great photographs, I’ve seen some of the most awesome wonders the earth has to offer. However, I’ve also caught a glimpse of the deep poverty, disease and tragedy that lies just out of the tourist’s view in many countries. I will never forget an experience I had in Nairobi Kenya as a teenager. I was traveling with a class group and we stopped by an outdoor market one afternoon at the end of our trip. The chaos and grime of the city was a startling contrast to the plains of the Maasai Mara where we had just spent two weeks watching lions, elephants, and other magnificent creatures. Street kids surrounded each of us and literally begged for the clothes off our backs. Many of them were emaciated and carrying juice boxes from which they appeared to take sips. But when we asked our guide what they were doing, he told us the juice boxes were filled with gasoline and glue. The kids were inhaling the fumes to get high. What makes six, eight and ten year olds so hopeless that they would get high to escape their reality? Where were their parents?

The answers to those questions are sad. That’s why I started this website. I want to use my talents as a photographer to give back to less privileged communities around the world. 50% of the price of each of my fine art prints on this site will be donated to relief organizations in developing countries. The goal isn’t to make a profit, it’s to create a sustainable way to get as much money as possible into the hands of organizations that are making a positive impact around the world.

the proceeds

Currently, proceeds from print sales are going to Cure International. CURE focuses on the 125 million children in developing countries who can be cured — and cured completely. They help kids with Hydrocephalus, Cleft Palate, Clubfoot, spinal deformities, and crippling orthopedic conditions. If these conditions go untreated, they seriously limit a child's ability to play, go to school and become a productive member of the community. By correcting their disabilities, CURE is able to bring hope and joy back to their lives and enable them to led fully functioning lives.

CURE has seen 1 million patients and performed 70,000 life-transforming surgeries. CURE is passionate about the physical and spiritual healing of disabled children in developing countries. It is the foundation of what they have been doing for ten years.

the prints

I make each print myself with the absolute highest standards of quality. I use the latest pigment ink printing technology on the best cotton rag paper (Museo Silver Rag) and sign the back of each print in pencil. Several proofs are made prior to the finals to ensure the very best in color accuracy, tonal value and sharpness. Every print is made with archival materials and, if cared for properly, should easily last a lifetime.

I don’t offer framing through this website because of the difficulty in shipping frames, but feel free to contact me and I can make recommendations on how to frame your print. Depending which photo you purchase, you may need to invest in custom framing. Most pre-made frame manufacturers don’t make frames that fit the aspect ratios of modern digital cameras. Some of my photos are also slightly cropped for the best composition.