Rob Mattson

Rob Mattson (b. 1976) has been a staff photographer for Noble Research Institute in Ardmore, Oklahoma since August of 2015, and moved up to a senior role in January of 2026. Noble’s goal, aside from research, philanthropy and development, is to empower farmers, ranchers and land conservationists who seek to learn about and/or practice regenerative principles, bolster interdependent ecosystems, build healthy soil, minimize inputs, conserve grazing lands, and overall, be stewards of Earth’s finite natural resources. Mattson’s role as a visual storyteller, aside from portraits and illustrations, is to document these efforts sans staging, posing, acting, redoing or otherwise affecting the photographs made. As a result, Mattson has been entrusted with unparalleled entre over the years. His goal is to honor this warmth with humility and a tireless commitment to continue telling the untold stories of regenerative agriculture around the nation.
Prior to Noble, Mattson served in a staff photographer role at Amherst College, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Courier News (Elgin, Ill.); interned at the Albuquerque Journal, Indianapolis Star, Kalamazoo Gazette, Naperville Sun (Copley days) and Boulder Daily Camera; and has freelanced for a multitude of national and international magazines, newspapers and agencies (NYT, WaPo, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, Seattle Times, Time, Rolling Stone, Ebony & Jet Magazines, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, SIPA Press, Gamma-Liaison, Affarsvärlden, etc.).
Mattson’s rarely on social media these days but can be found at @RowCU (Facebook) and @RobMattson (Instagram). He can also be reached via phone and text at (941)456-9817, and/or via email at smmattson@noble.org.