Monte’s images are simple, direct, and emotional. Each of them makes a simple statement. There is nothing in his photographs, except what should be there. All distractions were removed before he snapped the shutter. What you see is what he wants you to see. It’s usually a face or a collection of faces. When It’s a photograph of an individual, you will immediately know that person. When It’s a photograph of a group you’ll feel and experience their involvement with each other.
Based on classical tradition, Monte’s portraiture has never strayed far from his original intent – to capture a moment in people’s lives and memorialize it for posterity, In his own words, “I don’t photograph the world as it is. I photograph the world as I would like it to be.”
To accomplish this goal, Monte seems to always capture the moment with little or no direction. Although he basically controls all of his subjects when they’re being photographed, they appear to be completely natural.