CurlyHairedVision

DC Tourist

2011-08-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have been on the east coast for meetings since last week, but luckily had some down time and was able to meet up with friend and fellow shooter Patrick Smith for a proper tourist's tour of DC.

Photographing (other) tourists is usually more fun than just taking pictures of the the sights, so here's a few I enjoyed wandering with the 50mm.

Thanks for looking!

Dear Bloggy

2011-07-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Bloggy,

I know it's been quite awhile since I've fed you.

So here's a smile in the meantime.

I've been very busy, but will update you with a substantial amount of food (read: photos) very soon.

Love,

Matt

Hey Mr. Postman!

2011-04-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

Chris West started walking his postal route in Sandpoint after he left the United States Marine Corps about a year ago. "I walk about seven miles per day," said West, who does it with a smile regardless of the weather.

He's by far the best postman I've ever had, and I've had quite a few over the years throughout the American West. Didn't manage to post this during the dead of winter, but couldn't resist giving a nice little salute to the nice guy who makes sure I get my mail each day.

Northwest Skijoring Culture

2011-02-25T06:59:00.000-08:00

Late last year while sitting at the kitchen table in my home here in Sandpoint, Idaho, I could hear the sounds of a motorbike driving around the fresh snow in the alley behind our house. A quick look out the window and I noticed a skier in tow, but little did I know this would not be the start or end of my education about Skijoring.

Weeks later I learned of a complete culture devoted to the art of skiing (or snowboarding) while being towed on a rope. Skijoring started hundreds of years ago in Scandinavia as a method of transportation and competitive sport, but has since seen some serious growth in popularity in certain parts of the United States.

The folks at Wired.com's Playbook were just as intrigued as I was, and decided to run a story including my coverage from the first-ever competitive Skijoring event in North Idaho all the way to Whitefish, MT for the Skijoring World Championships.

Read the story:
Skijoring: The Awesome Marriage of Skiing and Horseback Riding

See a slideshow of more favorites and read on here.

Northwest Skijoring - Images by Matt McKnight

When I learned about the Skijoring event here in Sandpoint, one of the first thoughts that entered my mind was Sol Neelman's book project on The Weird World of Sports. So I dropped him an e-mail, and a short time later he was on his way out after shooting Outhouse Racing somewhere in central Washington.

Sol is one stand up dude. For someone who has been in the world of photojournalism for 14 years and seen his fair share of awards, he doesn't walk around with the attitude that some photographers think it's absolutely necessary to project. He was new to the game once before and knows that freelancing can be tough, but urged me (and all the other freelancers getting started) to just keep at it, do what you love, and create a niche market for yourself.

We stopped by the Doggy Keg Pull in downtown Sandpoint before heading over to the main event at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. My only major regret in Mr. Neelman's visit was that he wasn't coming through again a couple weeks later for the World Skijoring Championships in Whitefish.

But luckily a motley crue assembled itself for the experience.

DVAFoto's Scott Brauer and I had a chat, and without much convincing he was wanting one last photo adventure before moving to Boston from his home in Montana. Local photo pal Theron Humphrey had just quit his corporate photographer job to travel the country for his Wild Idea and to do some soul searching, he was already on board before I even needed to ask. And editor/publisher of the indie-weekly The Sandpoint Reader, Zach Hagadone couldn't resist making the voyage with all of us either.

We spent the weekend taking it all in together, learning about Skijoring and quietly noticing how two distinctly different groups could come together in quite a harmonious way.

And that's when it struck me.

Not everyone may choose the same style of photography, it's a wide world. We may not all even choose the same subject matter or employ the same techinques. But it's absolutely necessary to bond together (much like the skijoring crowd) and support each others' work, helping to inspire and challenge each other to keep moving forward and grow with our craft.

Skijoring meant personal growth for me as a photographer, and thankfully there were some pretty cool dudes around who I got to know even better.

On The Road: Whitefish, MT & Glacier Nat'l Park (Jan 28-30)

2011-01-24T13:14:00.000-08:00

Headed to Whitefish, MT for the Skijoring World Championships (January 29 & 30) on Friday, January 28 and available for assignment in the region. Also available on January 31 throughout Montana with advanced notice.

Northwoods Tavern - Naples, Idaho

2011-01-24T12:38:00.000-08:00

Most of my work over the past few months has been on a feature story about the Idaho Light Foot Militia based throughout three separate counties in the Idaho Panhandle. What started out as a personal project was graciously picked up by an editor, and now we're working through the winter to bring a story to the world that will hopefully show what it's like to be on the inside with a modern American militia.

Suffice to say, none of those photos will be available on my blog or elsewhere, until it's finished. But some of the photos I have taken along the way don't necessarily pertain to the overall militia story and I can share them.

So click on in if you're using a blog reader, or continue on...

A leader of the local militia invited me to spend time at his favorite watering hole in Naples, Idaho. It's one of those spots that you walk into as an outsider, and it feels like the music stops and everyone focuses their attention to the newcomer at the door. Luckily Mr. Militia was there and welcomed me to join the evening with everybody around, easing up that tension.

The people I spoke with in the bar seemed at least moderately supportive of the militia idea, some more than others. And because the bar is so close to Ruby Ridge, people still keep Randy Weaver (who once was a patron at the bar) in mind and remember the history of what happened in the area almost two decades before.

This was a true dive bar. The real deal.

Palouse Knowledge Corridor for The Wall Street Journal

2010-11-10T10:53:00.000-08:00

After finishing up an assignment staking out Imperial Oil's barge entering Lewiston along the Snake River, I headed north to Moscow, Idaho for another assignment after getting a good night's rest.

The Palouse -- from the French "pelouse," or "lawn," what early fur trappers called the prairie north of the Snake River -- has among the nation's biggest concentrations of academia west of New England.

I was bouncing back and forth between Pullman, Wash. and Moscow, Idaho for visits to Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, GoNano Technologies and Washington State University's Bear Research Center.

The Palouse Corridor of the Inland Northwest has kept its economy strong over recent years, despite continuing economic difficulties throughout other regions of the country.

Please read the full story here:
The Palouse Prospers, for Now

And some grizzly bear photos from Washington State University, hoping to go back there sometime soon:

Thanks for looking.

Spokane Halloween Wedding

2010-11-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

I was contacted in early October to shoot a wedding on Halloween, and immediately was quite interested in how the bride & groom would pull off this unique celebration. Ashley and Tony have known each other for over two years, and wanted to do something different.

A few favorites from the evening...

If you haven't already visited my Wedding Photojournalism & Portraits site, please do! It's soon due for an update with new summer and fall work. I also became a member of the Wedding Photojournalist Association this past October.

Thanks for looking!

Canadian Oil Field Roadblock for The Wall Street Journal

2010-10-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I got a call from The Wall Street Journal for a couple different assignments, the first being along the Snake River in Lewiston, Idaho near the Port of Lewiston.

My main objective from them was to make a photograph of the barge arriving with Imperial Oil's first shipment of mining equipment at the Port of Lewiston, that may eventually make its way over the Rocky Mountains in more than 200 massive loads and onward to Canada.

Please read the full story here and see Leah Nash's photos in Portland here:
Idaho Shortcut Stalls Global Trek

Initially the first shipment was to arrive sometime late in the evening on Wednesday, October 13. I was in position by 10:30 p.m. and waiting, tripod and camera set for some long exposures.

Unfortunately that never happened. But after a long evening of caffeine and archived This American Life episodes, the barge finally came floating through around 11 a.m. the next morning. Later that afternoon I made some portraits of David Doeringsfeld, the General Manager at the Port of Lewiston.

I did manage to make a long exposure of the bridge that night, my new best friend down that way. It was a good lesson in photojournalism, sometimes a photographer must wait patiently for news to happen.

Stay tuned for more assignment work in the near future.

5A Football for The Spokesman-Review: Central Valley vs Gonzaga Prep

2010-10-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

McCall Smoke Jumpers for Wired.com: Favorites/Outtakes and some thoughts...

2010-10-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

McCall Smoke Jumpers - Images by Matt McKnight

There was a point in my life when I wasn't making photographs for a living.

I was sitting in a building in downtown San Francisco, punching a clock five (sometimes six) days per week and pushing a pencil across a desk. That's not to say there's anything wrong with that, it's just not what I want. My aspirations of leaving the world of sales to finish my degree in Journalism and share stories and images about our world was more of a goal, or a dream.

When I got the call this summer from the photo editors at Wired.com, it was last minute (as I've learned how much of photojournalism can be) work that required I was in McCall, ID from Sandpoint, ID to start working in a little more than 12 hours. The reporter Matt Shechmeister had arranged for everything on pretty short notice, but that was the window they gave us for coverage.

Photo gear packed and I was on the road headed south from Sandpoint starting to parallel the Snake River as darkness set in. I realized along the six hour drive that this was part of what I had been working towards. The belief, by someone else, that I could go somewhere and make the photographs to tell the story. Shooting personal projects is rewarding, but many photojournalists would agree that it's great when their phone rings with a potential assignment on the other end.

Arrived around 1 a.m. and slept in the car. Ask the bored police officer who knocked on my window wondering what I was doing huddled up in a sleeping bag in the middle of nowhere.

With the rising of the sun a few hours later, a brushing of the teeth and a splashing of the face with bottled water, training got started.

Like any assignment, self-generated or not, there were some hurdles.

I wanted access from inside of the plane during the training jumps, and the bureaucracy within the U.S. Department of Forestry wouldn't allow it. The reporter and I pushed for access inside the barracks with the rookie smokejumpers, but were shut down because that wasn't within the scope of the story that was pitched.

But the whole crew at the McCall Smokejumper Base were wonderful. They're an extremely hard-working group of people who understand what they do is somewhat dangerous. With the right training, attention to detail and preparation they can ensure the safety of themselves and the others around them.

At the end of the two day assignment I learned a lot about an amazingly interesting group of firefighters, was able to make some photographs I'm proud of, and come to the realization that I'm so glad I decided to pursue a career that allows me to explore this world of ours.

Maybe next year I will get that chance to sleep in the barracks or hang out of an airplane and make some photos.

The photos above are an extended edit of my favorites and outtakes, prints and licensing requests available.

Please visit Wired.com's Raw File for the full story:
Smokejumpers Meld Skydiving & Firefighting

Happy for Halloween

2010-10-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

Last weekend in Spokane I was lucky enough to meet Ezekiel, Christelle and Elvanie Simpson. We drove past their house while following signs to an estate sale, and were greeted with Halloween decorations and mix-match costumed kids playing on the front lawn.

The car immediately stopped as I had to introduce myself, and make some photographs for a few minutes.

I love when life gives us those weird moments and awkward situations.

Thanks for looking.

5A Football for The Spokesman-Review

2010-09-20T22:29:00.000-07:00

Last week I received an e-mail from The Spokesman-Review asking if I was available to shoot some local high school football. It had been a year or so since my time as an intern at the Standard-Examiner that I had been on assignment for Friday Night Lights coverage, but I've been looking forward to doing some work for the S-R and jumped at the opportunity.

Managed to catch up with the Post Falls High School football team just before the sun went down for the evening, and followed them back into the locker room for a few minutes before the game started.

The paper wanted to run a sports action image, but it was still nice to spend some time shooting for myself.

North Idaho Jerky Lady

2010-09-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

Highway 95 is the most well-traveled route into Sandpoint, ID from the rest of the state, and Interstate 90. The entire summer I passed this beef jerky stand, heading both north and south. And every single time if weather was permitting I would see Sue B. sitting in her chair looking out at the cars. Yesterday with temperatures cooling off and fall weather quickly approaching, I pulled off the road and finally paid her a visit before she would disappear for the winter.

"This is the most fun job I've ever had," said Sue B., who has lived in North Idaho for approximately 25 years and worked at her 'Killer Jerky' stand along U.S. 95 for the last six years. "There's always so many interesting people who stop in to visit me from all over the place. They tell me about where they've been or where they are going, and I get to mentally go on vacation with them each time." Her stand has quite the variety of jerky; smokehouse original, teriyaki, peppered, sweet & hot, sweet &
peppered, and flamin' hot.

If you're visiting this part of the country or live in North Idaho, make sure to stop and share your travels with her.

Summer Celly Collage

2010-09-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year I made a collage blog post with photos I had made on my smart phone. The summer has passed, with some travel to San Francisco, Seattle, and wanderings around the Inland Northwest.

I tried to make some sense of them all as a cohesive piece. Asked myself what compelled me to make the photos, and tried to provoke some thoughts about the way I'm seeing through the viewfinder of a camera these days.

All of them do bring me back to memories of a wonderful, busy summer that was.

David Duke visits America's Promise Ministries in North Idaho

2010-09-04T12:19:00.001-07:00

David Duke Portraits - Images by Matt McKnight

Google Alerts are a journalist's best friend. I've made it a point to track keywords that relate to stories I'm working on, and this past week I found that ex-Klu Klux Klan leader David Duke was planning a visit to a white supremacist church.

David Duke nor the church would return my e-mails or phone calls, so I headed over there early this morning to track him down.

They would not allow me inside the church, but after some discussion he allowed me ten minutes to make some portraits.

Signs of Seattle

2010-08-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

Recent - Images by Matt McKnight

From our trip to Seattle for Rose's birthday.

Roughhousing in Lake Pend Oreille

2010-08-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

Weather has been kicking some serious rear end here in the Idaho Panhandle over the past few days. I was in San Francisco in the weeks prior, doing some work and meeting with editors in the city. A lot of catching up since I returned, but finally got out of my little loft office for a walk along the lake, and met Finnigan and Calvin who were taking advantage of the 70 degree water temperature and playing rough a bit...like most twelve year old boys do.

More blog posts to come in the week ahead, including outtakes from an assignment for Wired.com covering a couple days of training with the McCall Smoke Jumper crew.

Battle of the Bulls Rodeo

2010-07-18T19:03:00.002-07:00

Battle of the Bulls - Images by Matt McKnight

Gold Hill Trail

2010-07-12T23:50:00.000-07:00

Vintage Barn Show

2010-07-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

Vintage Barn Show - Images by Matt McKnight

Over the years my wonderful girlfriend has enlightened me to the world of all things vintage.

Last weekend we paid a visit to the twice-per-year Vintage Barn Show in Rathrdrum, Idaho for a look at all the interesting stuff the vendors had to offer. It seems there's a certain love for this type of stuff in the Idaho Panhandle, more so than anywhere else I have lived.

As always, had to bring my camera along for the experience.

Lost Lake Trail 81

2010-06-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

Bring bug repellant!

Comforts of Home

2010-06-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Sunrise Over Lake Pend Oreille

2010-06-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

Rays of light peeked through the curtains of our bedroom window this morning, and I slowly opened my eyes to check the time. It's 5:30 a.m. and I'm compelled to crawl out of bed and get the day started right (albeit a little early) and make some photos. We live walking distance from the lake, so I haphazardly throw some clothes on and go for a walk.

I'm the only one outside. The quiet rumble of semi-trucks passing along First Avenue has yet to begin, the coffee shop owner has yet to brew the first pot of coffee for the day. My feet shuffle along to an empty City Beach.

Nobody is there, just me and Lake Pend Oreille staring back at each other.

If only for a few minutes.

Medical Marijuana Delivery for Center for Investigative Reporting/KQED

2010-06-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

Late last year I received a phone call from Michael Montgomery over at the Center for Investigative Reporting's California Watch about a story he was working on regarding Medical Marijuana in California. He has done some amazing work over the years and wanted me to spend time shooting video and stills of a day on the road with Matt Cohen of Northstone Organics and some his clients, as part of a bigger story that was recently published.

Cohen operates a non-profit delivery service for medicinal marijuana users, ensuring they are delivered high-quality cannabis from Mendocino County. We met in Berkeley, Calif. and traveled throughout the Bay Area making drops to clients from all walks of life.

I'm hoping to spend time on the Northstone Organics farm later this year during harvest, ahead of the vote to legalize marijuana in California this November.

Photos and video from this assignment are available for license through myself and the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Please visit California Watch for their full (and ongoing) coverage of this important California issue: here

Thanks for looking!

Langhorne Slim from the Archive

2010-06-02T12:30:00.001-07:00

Saw that Sean Scolnick (Langhorne Slim) is playing Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park this year, and grabbed this from the archives.

Dave McClymonds and I collaborated on a story about him for The Owl Mag back in 2008. He did a "Q&A" backstage at The Independent in SF -- worth a read if you're a fan.

Thanks for looking.

The Dive Restaurant & Bar - Sandpoint, ID

2010-05-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

Winner of the arm wrestling match was the gentleman on the left (have his name somewhere in my notes). Thanks to both Tyler Sutherland and John Paul Henry for looking and commenting!

Word around town, the bar constructed a second story patio without getting permits from the city, and may now have to tear it down. Definitely will follow the small town controversy as it unfolds.

It's definitely worth a visit if you are in the area, if only for the inflatable bull.

Who won the arm wrestling match?

2010-05-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

The Dive Restaurant and Bar opened on First Avenue in Sandpoint, ID recently, claiming to be a family-friendly environment. They offer food and drinks, and host a number of activities including free hunting video games, an mechanical bull, and an arm wrestling station.

Hedge your bets. First commenting to pick the correct guy gets an 8x8 print from 'Lost in the 50s'!

The results come tomorrow with more photos of this spot!

'Lost in the Fifties' Special Feature on SportsShooter.com today!

2010-05-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

After a sun- and fun-filled weekend in Northern Idaho amongst 1950's hot rods and poodle skirts, I had collected some photographs of a small town's lasting "Lost in the Fifties" tradition, 25 years in the making. Since 1986 the people of Sandpoint have ushered in the summer season this way, drawing crowds from throughout the Pacific Northwest and even visitors from across the border in Canada.

I photographed the weekend with my professional equipment, but also couldn't resist playing with my trusty lil' smart phone. My mobile carrier doesn't have an agreement with Apple for the iPhone yet, so I have been perfectly happy using an Android-based device. I downloaded a camera application for the phone simply called 'Vignette', and started toying with the options.

Was very happy with the results, and they were featured on the front page of SportsShooter.com today! Here are a few extras that didn't quite make my SS.com edit, but thought would be fun to share.

Here's a direct link to the smart phone gallery:
SportsShooter

And the photographs I made with a "real" camera, captioned and available for licensing:
Lost in the Fifties XXV via Website

Tilt Shift Tea Party SF

2010-04-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

While I was in San Francisco over the past couple of weeks, I spent some time working on a time-lapse project capturing the movement of the city. This was a single image from the Tea Party protests that occurred in Union Square. As we get settled in to our new place on Lake Pend Oreille, I'm looking forward to sequencing and editing everything.

And a few extras/outtakes...

Taxidermist Portrait

2010-03-28T22:58:00.000-07:00

Had a chance to visit with Dale Locken, who has been a taxidermist for over twenty years. He calls himself a hunter first and foremost, and then an award-winning taxidermist afterward. He is hoping to take home some ribbons later this year during The Wyoming Association of Taxidermy Artists 21st Annual Convention & Competition next month, with pieces similar to the ones that surround him in the photo.

Thanks for looking.

The Road West

2010-03-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

Got started on a long term documentary project about the Crow Indian Reservation last week. Spent a few days living out of a dingy motel while wandering various towns on the reservation, getting to know the people. I've generated a number of story ideas, now it's just a matter of keeping in touch with everyone and getting back out there again as soon as possible.

Perhaps this photo will be one for my 'Soul Searching the American West' series on the website.

Images and words to come later about the Crow Indian Reservation, and its people.

Thanks for looking.

Celly Holga Collage

2010-03-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

I finally purchased a smart phone a few months ago, and have made it a point to make images of things that I've found interesting in my travels throughout the West. Like others with iPhones and its CameraBag application, I have been using its competitor the Droid HTC and a similar application.

For me it's been an exercise in finding random things that made me stop to think for a moment.

And the quest will continue.

2010-03-12T14:45:00.000-08:00

Holla at yo dawg

2010-03-04T21:27:00.000-08:00

Fire False Alarm

2010-02-27T22:23:00.000-08:00

Showed up to a fire, except there wasn't one. But it was golden hour. So I made a frame.

Swim Meet Snugglin'

2010-02-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

Spending the next couple of days shooting the Wyoming State Swim Championships. I found Rawlins High School swimmers Keri Gonzalez and Tony Demillard away from the action, spending some time together in their own little world.

Thanks for looking.

Beer o' Clock Hockey Halftime

2010-02-24T17:34:00.001-08:00

Decided to sneak into the locker room during halftime at a local Gillette Men's Hockey League game.

Was definitely one of the stinkiest locker rooms I've ever visited, but worth the frame.

Go Fly A Kite

2010-02-22T17:36:00.000-08:00

Always seems to be windy in Wyoming, but on this particular day the wind was hiding. In celebration of completing the hunter's training course for kids at the Campbell County Boys and Girls club in Gillette, Wyo. the students were taken to learn to fly stunt kites. The kids and parents spent an hour trying to get the kites in the sky.

Barely happened, almost once.

In The Bull Chute

2010-02-22T07:57:00.000-08:00

Jacob Marshall, 19, from Huntington, UT gets roped into his bull before the
gates opened during the Bull Riding event at the Winter Western Rodeo at
Cam-plex Pavillion on Saturday, February 13 in Gillette, Wyo.

Rodeo happens in Northeast Wyoming all the time, later this year the 2010 National High School Rodeo Championships will descend upon Gillette, WY for a full week of cowboy madness. Stopped in to the Winter Western Rodeo recently and managed to get up on the platform above the bull chute.

Looking forward to more Rodeo and behind the scenes coverage.

Cub Scout Snow Day Overexposed

2010-02-21T12:47:00.000-08:00

Grabbed a frame for myself while out shooting a story with the Chocadewakoa District
Cub Scouts.

Haven't been updating the blog much lately, but am planning to add a few frames from my first month in Northeast Wyoming very soon!

Black Hills Ice Fishing

2010-02-02T18:06:00.000-08:00

Found this fisherman while roaming the Black Hills last weekend.

Matt Berry, 28, grew up in Rapid City, SD and has been ice fishing Pactola
Reservoir in the Black Hills since he was a teenager. "The ice starts to
freeze over in mid-December and when it's about 6 inches thick we're safe to
start fishing," said Berry, while reading a book and waiting for a school of
freshwater trout to pass below. "It's peaceful out here, keeps me coming out
whenever I can."

For The Love of Wood...

2010-02-02T17:43:00.000-08:00

Spent some time last week hanging out with people at the annual Furniture Refinishing Workshop for a story that ran in a local newspaper. The workshop has been going on for approximately 30 years with people of all different skill levels working on different wooden furniture, big and small.

The amount of work everyone puts in on the projects was inspiring. It's quite the labor of love, much like photography can be.

Postcard Photographer

2010-01-31T23:12:00.000-08:00

Until those personal tablet things "change" photojournalism for the rest of history, I'm going to be a postcard photographer. Not really. Was really nice to visit Mt. Rushmore National Monument this weekend though.

More to come from my life in Northeast Wyoming in the near future.

Thanks for looking.

Devils Tower Nat'l Monument

2010-01-23T23:38:00.001-08:00

It's official. I'm now living in Northeast Wyoming. More to come soon.

Goodbye for now, San Francisco...

2010-01-14T12:40:00.000-08:00

Off to the Wild West.

Santa Claus: The Dude Behind the Beard

2009-12-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to everyone!

I spent some time during my last couple of weeks with the Standard-Examiner doing a story about Mike Reddish, a man who has been Santa Claus in Northern Utah for about 15 years now.

This is my first Christmas away from family, but somehow in hanging out with Santa Claus over the past few weeks I was able to keep my Christmas spirit alive. Living and working in Ogden, UT has been a great experience, I've learned so much about myself both as a photographer and a person during my time here.

I am leaving this newspaper and spending time in California until January 18, when I will be living in Northeast Wyoming and working on some projects.

May everyone have a safe an prosperous New Year!

Read the Article here.

44 Hours in the Land of Peaches

2009-12-16T10:33:00.000-08:00

SLC International Airport

Downtown Atlanta

Downtown ATL Construction

Rural Road in Stockbridge, GA

Burned Down to a Mobile Home

'Stella'

I left early on Sunday morning from Salt Lake City, UT to hop a flight to Atlanta, GA and visit family while celebrating my grandfather's 90th birthday. Managed to get out and wander just a little bit in the short time I was there.

Can't wait to visit again, hopefully a lot longer next time.

The Varsity makes a good fried peach pie, but Chik-fil-a no doubt makes it better.

Thanks for looking.

Mark McKnight Silhouette

Sports Feature Photograph of the Year: 2009 Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar

2009-12-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

Last Friday I heard from a friend that one of my rodeo images was selected as the Sports Feature photograph of the year by the judges at the 2009 Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar in Atlanta, GA.

The seminar was founded in 1973 by a group of photojournalists representing newspapers, magazines, and wire services, in an effort to promote the highest standards of photojournalism through an annual conference and contest judged by working photographers.

"Flat-out funny. I just laughed out loud.", "An unusual photo", "Nice moment...good eye," said Sports Illustrated staff photographer and 2009 APS judge, Bill Frakes.

There has been some amazing work this year, I feel very lucky that others enjoyed my 'Two Cowboys' photograph as much as I did.

Congratulations to Alex Welsh, a fellow 2009 graduate from San Francisco State University, who was honored in multiple categories for his groundbreaking documentary work in the Hunter's Point neighborhood of San Francisco, CA. John Adkisson, another colleague who hails from UNC Chapel Hill was honored with both a 1st and 3rd place award for his exquisite multimedia work over the last year.

If you're interested in seeing some great rodeo photography, Salt Lake City based Deseret-News staff photographer Mike Terry has been working on a photo essay about rodeo culture in the American West. There are some wonderful, romanticizing images he has made of the rodeo which are definitely worth a look!

Soul Searching Antelope Island / Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program Hunting

2009-12-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

It has been epic cold here in Northern Utah over the past week or so. Even people that have lived here for years have been heard commenting on the sometimes subzero temperatures. It has been a little slow at the paper this week, so I used the opportunity to keep working on a series of photos. After driving to the point on Antelope Island where you can see the Great Salt Lake, I stumbled upon the sun--it had been a few days since it warmed me up a bit.

If you have time, see more photos from this series on my redesigned website...under 'Soul Searching the American West'. If you're interested in purchasing a print, simply click on 'Prices' and follow the check-out process.

When I was leaving, I heard shotgun fire off in the distance.

So I tracked it down, and found that John Neill, an avian biologist with Utah's Department of Natural Resources and Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program, was hunting Northern Shoveler and Cinnamon Teal birds within Antelope Island's wildlife reserve. He and others were out hunting the birds in an effort to ensure the birds are not consuming hazardous levels of mercury in the water, and they have teamed with the a doctoral student at University of Utah for the study.

Sort of ironic, right? Killing birds to save them.

It's too bad I won't be around to work on the story, would have been quite interesting! But I was able to spend about fifteen minutes hanging out with them before transmitting on deadline.

Tommy "Rooster" Jerome Sikes, 66

2009-12-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

I was sitting at a stop light and fumbled for the camera when Tommy "Rooster" Jerome Sikes drifted through the cross walk. The wheels quickly turned to Washington Boulevard from 25th Street in Ogden, UT to learn more about this Vietnam war veteran.

Rooster was born in Chatanooga, Tenn. on June 13, 1943. According to him he was "ready for rodeo" the day he was born. He states that he served his country in the United States Army from '61-'68, when he moved to Salt Lake City, UT to pursue a life in rodeo.

Such an interesting person.

I'm trying to learn more about him, hopefully I will see him again before I leave the Beehive State.

Morgan Mink Fur Farming Protests

2009-11-29T19:26:00.000-08:00

I've been doing research and getting started on a personal project looking more closely at fur culture in the United States and the large number of farms in Northern Utah. Members from PETA gathered for the first time ever in Morgan, UT to voice their opposition of the farming that occurs.

Utah is the second highest producer of this particular type of fur in the country, mostly because its colder temperatures produce a thicker fur on the animals.

Estimates are approximately 20 farms in Morgan County, that have been operating for multiple generations. Many of the town's citizens feel that it is extremely important to the small town economy during these tough times.

More to come in the near future, stay tuned!

Miss Wheelchair Utah

2009-11-25T14:24:00.000-08:00

Kelie Babcock, 27, a resident of Ogden, was named Miss Wheelchair Utah on Saturday, November 21 in Salt Lake City. Kelie graduated from Weber State University with a degree in Social Work, and is currently the education coordinator and peer mentor at Tri-County Independent Living Center in Ogden. She will be representing Utah in the Miss Wheelchair America pageant in July 2010.

2009-11-24T22:55:00.000-08:00

Farr West, UT

Michael Kodas & High Crimes on Mt. Everest

2009-11-15T19:17:00.000-08:00

Photo Courtesy Michael Codas via ESPN Outdoors

There was a great story last week about photojournalist Michael Kodas and his experiences climbing Mt. Everest.

"People are going to these peaks with a badly skewed view of what it's going to entail," said Kodas on NPR's Salt Lake City affiliate station, KUER. "They have no idea at all about the cultural and social challenges as well."

Kodas is a 25-year veteran at the Hartford-Courant, and was a member of the team of photographers that won a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the massacre of four employees of the Connecticut lottery by a disgruntled employee in 1999.

KUER Radio Interview with Doug Fabrizio

Michael Kodas Photographs at Mt. Everest

High Crimes at Amazon

APAD Front

2009-11-13T22:58:00.000-08:00

There's a wonderful community of photographers who share work and exchange ideas with each other over at A Photo A Day, and I am honored that they featured one of my personal favorite photographs on the front page for the day.

Goes to show that making photographs for myself is a good thing.

EAT MORE HAM ! ! !

2009-11-13T11:36:00.000-08:00

I don't even know what this is about.

But it's awesome.

Trapped Beauty

2009-11-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

Willard Bay State Park, Northern Utah

After I finished an assignment yesterday, I wanted to spend some time wandering along the beaches of Willard Bay. It's quite a beautiful place, but most of its eastern coastline remains protected by a daunting barbed wire fence.

Gorilla in the Grass

2009-11-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

Halloween Love in a Shower Curtain

2009-11-01T11:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

Saved From Archive Oblivion

2009-10-29T01:23:00.000-07:00

A photo pal helped me go through some frames tonight, and tried to help me organize my work in a way that makes sense. I had never once thought of this photograph after shooting it, but she had remembered it.

Made me realize how easy it is to totally lose a photograph into the archive forever, instead of realizing that it may actually fit into a larger body of work.

Pumpkin Munchin'

2009-10-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

Hooper, UT

I've come to the realization there is too much livestock in Northern Utah, and for some reason I enjoy photographing it.

Soul Searching the American West

2009-10-25T11:30:00.001-07:00

Last week I decided on a whim that it was time to hit the road and travel through the American West for a few days. I had never been to Grand Tetons National Park, nor Yellowstone National Park.

So I slept in my trusty ol' grandma ride for a couple of days and just let the road take me where it would.

This is the start of a travel photo essay I intend to continue developing during my time in the region.

Thanks for looking!

Alton "Tre" Arnold, 9

2009-10-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

I was honored to spend time this past week with Alton "Tre" Arnold, a 9-year-old boy who suffers from a rare metabolic disorder that has left him stuck in the body of a 2-year-old with no use of his arms, legs or mouth. The Opportunity Foundation of America and Tre found each other at Roy Elementary School in Roy, UT when they saw his potential.

With his eyes, he can now learn to communicate with the world.

Please read Trent Toone's article via Standard-Examiner:

Roy Historical Museum

2009-10-10T00:23:00.000-07:00

Roy, UT

2009-10-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

Hooper, UT

Finished shooting video/stills for a story that is going to run Sunday in the Standard-Examiner when I came across this little gem. I spoke to a gentelman who said the house has been there for well over 100 years. He named three different generations of his family that lived in the now abandoned and decaying house.

I'll try and cool it with the animals photos.

Moo tah

2009-10-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

Jack

2009-10-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

John M "Jack" Acheson, 63, has traveled throughout the world as a tennis player, and has been a ski local to various Utah mountains over the years. He has also worked on the railroad, road his bike from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles and is a property owner in Ogden, UT.

Dogden, UT

2009-10-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

Home Depot Parking Lot - Ogden, UT

Moon Rise Over Mount Ogden

2009-10-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

Starting Over, Again.

2009-10-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

Most recently I have been able to spend time with a family that lives in my neighborhood (East Central) in Ogden, UT. Until about a month ago, 11-year-old Kenny was separated from his mother Tina and brother Dylan, 17.

Poe originally lost her kids after an aggravated assault incident where she stabbed her husband in 2005 and soon went to prison. While behind bars, her husband abandoned the two boys and left for Florida.

Now, almost five years later the family is reunited and attempting to put the puzzle pieces of their lives back together.

While older brother Dylan has been reunited with his mother for almost two years, Kenny spent that time institutionalized by Utah's Department of Child and Family Services because they deemed him to have severe behavioral problems.

And his problems aren't to be taken lightly. One moment Kenny can be a rather timid boy, and within a spit second his mood can change to uncontrollable rage according to his mother.

Tina Poe alleges that her son, Kenny, was molested (and possibly worse) while under DCFS care. The reporter of whom I originally worked with on this story has verified with DCFS that Kenny was indeed molested while under the state's care.

Her trial period with Kenny lasts 60 more days, and then the state will make a final decision as to whether she is fit to be his mother.

The family has created a new motto amongst themselves:
"No sacrifice, no victory. Lose nothing and take everything. We will succeed and win."

Frightmares!

2009-09-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

♥ ♥ ♥

2009-09-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

BMX @ Dew Tour SLC

2009-09-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

First time shooting professional BMX dudes, hope I get a chance to shoot more extreme sports in the future!

2009-09-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

Had some fun overexposing a few frames once I'd shot everything I needed for the paper at the Dew Tour's stop in Salt Lake City

Chinese Immersion Kindergarten Class

2009-09-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

YOU LIE!

2009-09-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

Nothing fancy here, but I saw this on an overpass while traveling to an assignment yesterday. On the way back I felt compelled to make a frame, it reminded me of just how different a place I'm living in compared to the Bay Area. I found it to be a little ridiculous that someone felt strongly enough on Election Day in Utah that they wanted to remind the world of a quote that has been resonating around cable news and water coolers all around.

Wish I could have been there whenever the person was putting it up...

I wonder if they made a conscious decision to use red dixie cups instead of blue?

Lifeguard Hero

2009-09-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

Pizza Photography

2009-08-26T23:43:00.000-07:00

I've had a couple of food assignments, some I've shot with available light and others with a strobe & softbox. It's actually pretty fun to have people make you food and then photograph it, plus you get to eat it sometimes!

This frame was with window light only, the fork sort of bothers me.

The Wasatch Frontier

2009-08-19T23:23:00.000-07:00

Eden & Huntsville, UT.

Tour of Utah Time Trials

2009-08-18T22:31:00.000-07:00

First time shooting professional cycling, it was quite interesting! Hopefully I'll get a chance to photograph it again in the future, and can keep practicing my pan shots.

Solar Wedding Teaser

2009-08-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to spend time in Los Angeles a few weekends ago photographing Jeremy and Lilly's wedding. Without a doubt, it was worth the 12-hour drive there and back (although next time I'm booking a flight ahead of time).

Thanks guys! Look forward to sending you more of the photos very soon!

Stranger at the Salt Flats

2009-08-16T22:00:00.001-07:00

While visiting the Salt Flats here in Utah yesterday I met a woman named Dianne, who was stopping for a quick view of it all. She was driving her elderly parents across the West, after visiting a funeral in Ogden, UT.

Crowd Surfin' at Sonic Youth

2009-08-01T11:17:00.000-07:00

For more photos from Sonic Youth in Salt Lake City:
HERE

2009-07-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

Fire in Ogden, UT (part 2)

2009-07-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

Fire in Ogden, UT today...

2009-07-26T19:46:00.001-07:00

More McGrath @ Powder Mountain, UT

2009-07-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

First experience shooting motocross, on the side of a ski mountain nonetheless.

Jeremy McGrath was commissioned to design a motocross course for a competition at Powder Mountain during the last weekend in August. The ski resort was required to get multiple permits because the it actually sits on a national forest, according to a source at Powder Mountain. McGrath did much of the correspondence for designing the course through e-mail and phone calls, but finally was able to get out and ride what he created this past week.

He was super down-to-earth, and I thought it was pretty awesome when he mentioned "I love my motorcycle like I love my kids". Was nice to see that after all the championships he has won and the years of riding he has under his belt, he still doesn't take doing what he loves for granted.

Jeremy McGrath @ Powder Mountain

2009-07-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

More to come soon.

Pioneer Days Rodeo in Ogden, UT

2009-07-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

I recently started an internship with the Standard-Examiner in Ogden, UT...this week is big for the town because of the Pioneer Day Holiday and festivities.

Got my first front page with the paper today!

See it here:
Standard-Examiner on Newseum

4th of July for The Signal Newspaper: Santa Clarita, CA

2009-07-04T23:18:00.000-07:00

My Week at The Signal Newspaper: Day 1

2009-07-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Renee Danganan, 28, watches over visitors at lower Castaic Lake. "It's been busier this week with the warmer weather," said Danganan, who explained that budget cuts will soon discontinue summer swimming until Wednesday each week. "Starting July 1, the lower lake will be closed for swimmers Monday through Wednesday, all summer long."

(Matt Mills McKnight for The Signal / 2009)

I'm back in Los Angeles doing some freelance work, covering vacations for my hometown newspaper. It's actually pretty neat getting to make photographs for the newspaper that I once delivered newspapers for as a kid.

Yesterday warmed up quite a bit, and they sent me out to shoot hot weather features.

They didn't run the whole caption in the newspaper, but hopefully they will follow up on that story and make something of it (they didn't know about it until yesterday I believe).

2009-06-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

Concrete Jungle Shadow Self-Portrait

2009-06-17T06:56:00.001-07:00

Was waiting for a friend to grab his camera and wander San Francisco's Mission District with me during golden hour.

We ended up getting burritos instead.

BRWN BFLO

2009-06-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

Had a few minute pre-show portrait session with the guys from BRWN BFLO, based in the East Bay for Oh Dang! Magazine.

Off the radar...

2009-06-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

Wanted to go off the radar for a few days, so I headed to Mt. Lassen Volcanic National Park and setup camp.

Pretty amazing place.

Proposition 8 Outtakes

2009-05-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

And here's the link to the story that ran on NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104620209

Chasing Light and Shadows

2009-05-20T00:41:00.000-07:00

The King(s)

2009-05-19T07:50:00.001-07:00