Matt Rainey has been a photographer for various New Jersey newspapers since his graduation from The Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. He has been taking photos for the Star-Ledger since 1995. He became a staff photographer in January, 2000.

Rainey has traveled around the world for The Star-Ledger, including multiple assignments in Israel and Mexico. He considers the "After the Fire" series his greatest photographic achievement.

Among numerous other awards, Rainey was selected as the 1998 New Jersey Press Photographer of the Year. In 1999 he was the runner-up.