Matt Holland Photography

I love the Northwoods

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holland) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:15:00 +0000

Rainbow over Superior

In August (just before I broke my ankle actually) I spent a weekend up on the North Shore of Lake Superior with a friend, exploring and photographing, as well as climbing the highest point in MN. Most of the photography ended up being of our various adventures (especially since the cloud cover spoiler our view of the stars and the Perseid meteor shower) but on our way out Sunday morning we stumbled across this stunning view from one of the back roads in Finland State Forest. I just about locked up the brakes when I spotted this.

Sunrise on the marsh. This is why I live in Minnesota

Although the trip wasn't as photo-heavy as some, I did get a couple more nice shots, mostly of some of the people I was with. A longer trip is definitely needed next summer, especially since I missed the fall colors due to being on crutches. You can definitely expect more photos like these!

A dark campsite makes a surprisingly useful "studio"

High on the rocks at Taylors Falls, MN

The stars at night, are big and bright, deep in the heart of... New Mexico?

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holland) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000

During a trip to west Texas and New Mexico in May I had the opportunity to shoot some stars while up around 9000ft of altitude in the mountains. I'll tell you what, the views out there sure beat what we get in the Twin Cities.

The first night I was tired from other activities so I took the lazy man's route and put the tripod on the deck of our cabin. Luckily I had a nice open view to the North so I think it came out pretty well!

Inspired by my success, I got ambitious for my 2nd and final night up in the mountains and did some rather sketchy nighttime hiking to revisit the Mexican Canyon Trestle Bridge near Cloudcroft, NM, as well as Apache Point National Observatory.

While the position of the moon wasn't quite ideal (and the other side of the bridge was even more dangerous than where I was), I think it came out pretty well! I did break one of the latches on my tripod using it as a makeshift walking pole though. I don't really recommend that! After I hauled myself and my gear (shivering due to the low temps at this altitude), I made the hour drive to Apache Point. I'd done this earlier that day to visit the observatory while it was open to the public, but the drive through about 45 miles of insanely twisty mountain roads riddled with deer was far more exciting at 2am.

Inside the Dunn Solar Telescope at the National Solar Observatory, Sacramento Peak, NM

It had occured to me that the telescopes at Apache Point would be the perfect foreground for another star trails shot. Plus I wanted to get some nice night shots of the facility, especially if it was in operation and the telescopes were open. Since the observatory isn't exactly open to the public at night, I thought discretion was the order of the day, and followed the signs directing me to run my headlights off about a mile out. It's a wonder I could stay on the road due to the trees blocking the moon, but I made it to their lot and quickly made my way up to the telescopes, only to be disappointed to see that they were not in operation.

The New Mexico State University 1.0m telescope in foreground, 0.5m Astrophysical Research Consortium scope in back

After setting up the camera and intervalometer for the above shot, I retired to my borrowed van to get out of the cold and read a book by flashlight. After some time the doors locked automatically, and I nonchalantly unlocked it from the inside without thinking. Cue the car alarm going off at 3AM! It took me what seemed like an eternity to find the keyfob and disable the alarm, at which point I bailed out and hid in a bush waiting for the inevitably response to the racket I'd made. After about 15 minutes of utter silence I realized no one was coming, and went back to grab my camera and shoot some some more angles. Then I hightailed it back to the cabin for a couple hours of sleep!

New Mexico Museum of Space History, Alamagordo, NM

On the way out of NM I made sure to visit the New Mexico Museum of Space History, a great little museum with a bunch of rockets and plenty of artifacts from the nearby White Sands Missile Range. Make sure to check it out if you're ever in the area!

To canoe or cannot. The 2011 Mississippi River Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holland) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:38:00 +0000

I was invited back to shoot the 2011 iteration of the Mississippi River Challenge, put on by my friends at the Friends of the Mississippi River to raise money for their conservation efforts.

I had a blast shooting the event last year, and this year had some ideas I couldn't wait to put into action on the river. The forecast was for excellent weather, and with more than 350 paddlers, there wasn't going to be any shortage of experiences to capture.

The event started bring and early Saturday morning at Coon Rapids dam, and due to the unseasonably high water levels, the swift current ensured that paddlers were almost always ahead of schedule! It was a long day running up and down the river trying to catch the leaders, the middle pack, and the trailing boats.

Last year I snapped some of my favorite photos of the event from the Stone Arch Bridge as the paddlers went through the locks at Upper St. Anthony Falls, and this year I figured I could do better, and I did. Thanks to Gary and John of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, I was able to get up on top of the locks themselves during the process, and captured a number of unique images from there. Plus I got to spend the time between groups in their air-conditioned office!

One of the most interesting parts of the trip is the finish at Grey Cloud Island. The mix of emotions you see among the paddlers runs the entire gamut, from elation to exhaustion, or even a blend of both. This little girl was waiting for mom to appear on the horizon and was plainly thrilled to see her after her weekend away.

This father/daughter duo did the entire trip together, and made for many great photos along the way. In a couple more years she'll probably be a good deal more help paddling, but I don't think dad minded too much!

Starting 2011 off the right way!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holland) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:45:00 +0000

With Minnesota covered in snow and too cold to properly work a camera's controls, I decided to head south and see if the "snowbirds" maybe had the right idea after all. I worked in Las Vegas at CES 2011, so I added a couple days to my trip so I'd have time to visit Zion National Park and some other scenic spots in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.

Las Vegas certainly had glitz, but after four days on the show floor at CES I was quite ready to get out of town. The first stop was Valley of Fire State Park, about 40 minutes east of Vegas. This was Nevada's first ever state park, and was quite beautiful! The amazing rock formations are just awesome shades of red and orange, and are carved into all sorts of nooks and crannies by the wind.

I didn't have too much time here though, because I was still several hours from Zion National Park, and wanted to have time to climb Angels Landing that evening! I arrived at the park about four hours from sundown, and started the ~1500 foot ascent up a seeminly neverending series of switchbacks known as Wally's Wiggles. The backpack full of gear and cameras started to seem like a poor choice after only a mile or so, but I pressed on. A half mile from the summit, signs warned of extreme danger in darkness, thunderstorms, or ice and snow conditions. What's an adventure without a little danger? I made it to the top in time to relax and watch the aftermath of the sunset at the end of the canyon, which was definitely worth the effort.

Of course, watching the sunset from the summit meant I now had the distinct priveledge of climbing back down in the dark. I was able to make it off the ridge and back to the switchbacks before it got really dark. The view of the valley from the trail was truly breathtaking. After turning off my headlamp and giving my eyes time to adjust, the moonlit canyon was laid out before me under the most stars I'd ever seen in my life.

Taking some photos also allowed for a much needed break from walking! Next on my agenda was star trails, so I bundled up and set up the tripod for almost three hours, compositing almost 1,000 frames to create the image and video below. Light clouds had blown in by then, which wasn't perfect, but the view was still spectacular!

Timelapse video:

I had a bit of a drive planned the next day, so I couldn't keep at it too much longer, and the cold was murder on camera batteries, so I snapped a couple more before calling it a night. The streak at the right of the photo below is most likely an airliner headed for Las Vegas.

The next day I headed to Arizona, by way of the Zion National Park Scenic Drive. Hairpin turn after hairpin turn on ice in a FWD rental. Exhilarating! My destination was one of the most-photographed canyons in the world, Antelope Canyon in Page, AZ. Since Antelope Canyon is a sacred Navajo place, I hooked up with a local guide and headed to upper Antelope Canyon. All I can say is, if you ever have the chance to visit, do it! During the warmer months the canyon is typically choked by tourists, but the upside of the ~30 degree weather was that I had the place to myself! I was also able to visit Rattlesnake Canyon, another nearby slot canyon that is less popular, mostly due to its extreme narrowness in some places.

After my visit to Antelope Canyon and the Navajo Nation, I turned west to return to Las Vegas to catch a jet home. I wish I'd had more time to visit some of the other nearby parks and monuments (Glen Canyon, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, Grand Basin, etc), but it couldn't last forever! All in all, this trip was a fantastic photographic start to 2011!

Engagement adventures with Alex and Louise

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holland) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Just before Christmas I met up with Louise and Alex, who will be getting married next July. They wanted to get their engagement photos taken while they were in town, so I started brainstorming some great winter locations. When I suggested behind the frozen waterfall at Minnehaha Park, they jumped at the chance!

They made the short but steep and slippery hike to the cavern with minimal fuss, and we got started. It's actually pretty warm behind the falls, since you're out of the wind, so we were able to work comfortably and get some awesome stuff.

Louise and Alex were both having a great time and loved the location, so we shot some stuff outside the falls and around the park as well.

Congrats Louise and Alex!

SoCal Sojourn

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holland) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 06:00:00 +0000

When I took this panorama, Minnesota was recieving it's first major snowfall. Did I feel bad for friends and family back home? Heck no. This was at Torrey Pines State Beach, between San Diego and Los Angeles.

In November I traveled to Los Angeles for business, and once again added a couple days to my trip for a little travel and photography at the seaside. There's really nothing like a sunset over the Pacific as seen from San Clemente Pier!

While in San Diego, I made the short trip to La Jolla, to visit the La Jolla Children's Pool, a man-made lagoon that was once intended for kids, but quickly became a favorite haunt for the local seal population. I was hoping to get some nice shots of some of the seals on the sandy beaches there, but they seemed content to lounge on hard rocks, so I had to make do with what I could get.

Next time I'd love to do some snorkeling or diving here. I saw dozens of divers and swimmers around, and I'm sure I could get some amazing shots. I'll need to put that on the to-do list...

Another California sunset, this time at LAX. The perfect spot to get this shot is also the perfect spot to grab dinner, at the In-N-Out right across the street from the airport. Can't beat that convenience!

If you're in LA, make sure to take some time to check out the Getty Center. The combination of amazing architecture, the hilltop location, and great art, photography, and sculpture make for an excellent afternoon. Plus, you can see the thick layer of smog lying over downtown on a calm day! Gotta love Los Angeles.

The high vantage point offered by the Getty Center made this shot of the sun setting over Santa Monica a joy to capture. I also shot this on my roll of Kodachrome slide film, which we're still waiting to get back from the lab, since it arrived the day before they stopped accepting Kodachrome forever!

hh

More beautiful places, but this time much closer to home.

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 08:51:00 +0000

Until last weekend it had been more than ten years since I'd visited the North Shore of Lake Superior. I realized that this was inexcusable, so I took steps to fix it, and headed up north for a little camping before it got too cold. The fall colors hadn't quite come in, which was too bad, but I was able to visit Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse, as well as Duluth, and got some great photos!

Gooseberry Falls lit only by the moon

I am always blown away by the number of stars visible when you get outside the city

Pines backlit by the moon at Gooseberry Falls

There's nothing quite like sitting on the beach watching a storm blow in. I love the ethereal look the rushing water gives the rocks

The Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth, I JUST missed it being raised for an incoming ore frieghter

Here's a ~270 degree panorama of Duluth Harbor and the Aerial Lift Bridge. I loved the colors on the water! Make sure to click the photo to view the larger sizes!

I did some nighttime photography at Split Rock as well, but the stars and moon were totally obscured by clouds, and the lighthouse itself has absolutely no lights near it, so they were somewhat disappointing. I know the photo I want is there somewhere though, I'll just need to go back on a nice clear night!

White Sands, one of the most beautiful places on earth.

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 01:45:00 +0000

After I spent a couple days in Colorado, I headed south towards Texas, and stopped at White Sands National Monument for a lovely sunset. As far as I'm concerned White Sands is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I've been there many times over the years, since my grandparents have a cabin nearby, but this was White Sands at it's most beautiful. The golden sunset behind the mountains, combined with the nearby storms really were a sight to see.

This 360 degree panorama needs to be viewed large to really be appreciated. Just click to open it up and take in the view.

I'd love to have a chance to spend a couple days there sometime, maybe next time I am in the neighborhood!

30 blogging moms and a bundle of baked goods!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:32:00 +0000

The ladies of Baking with Betty!

Two weeks ago I got another chance to go shoot at the General Mills test kitchens for another "mom blogger" event. General Mills had 30 bloggers from around the country come to their Golden Valley HQ to try out some new recipes and see what delicious concoctions they could whip up.

I couldn't wait to sample these treats after spending a couple hours smelling them!

The first day was spent in the General Mills media kitchen with six Latina/Hispanic bloggers, shooting them cooking some hispanic-inspired recipes with one of the General Mills chefs. I got a chance to work with an excellent video crew that was shooting along with me, and got to sample some amazing churros, ducle de leche cookies, and more! The event was also great practice with my Spanish, since the entire time that was all they spoke! I like to think I am pretty good, but seven women talking all at the same time with their mouths full was quite a challenge!

The General Mills media kitchen

After the shoot the video guys and myself got to try out all the treats the ladies had been making, and I'll tell you what, stuff like that just cements my love of working with General Mills! Everything was amazing, and by the time I left, I was about ready for a nap!

Check out this short youtube video from the shoot (with links to the recipes!):

I was back bright and early on the second day, along with the six moms from yesterday and 24 more to boot! This time they were cooking in the massive General Mills test kitchens, trying out about a dozen new recipes for breakfast, cookies, brownies, and cakes. The women were all having a blast, and cranking out tons of amazing treats!

With four stations going at once, there was plenty to shoot and taste, and by lunch it seemed that everyone was already full!

Crepes from Bisquick, who knew?

The new face of Betty Crocker perhaps?

I was quite stuffed myself by the end, mostly thanks to many of the women's insistence that I try their confections, and my general lack of resistance to the idea! Everyone had a blast and learned a ton, and I think it was very valuable for General Mills to get some direct interaction with a group of their customers like that. I can't wait to get back there and shoot some more!

The moms loved the opportunity to try out some of General Mills' newest products

I've finally got the weekend off from weddings for once, so I'll be at the Commemorative Air Force Minnesota Wing's Vintage Fashion show and wine tasting this friday. Check it out if you're near South Saint Paul and need something to do!

A change in scenery

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 06:30:00 +0000

I love Minnesota, but I can only handle so many lakes! The trip out west has been an awesome change of scenery, starting with the beautiful San Juan mountains in Colorado!

This lightning storm scrubbed my attempt to climb Mt. Sneffels, one of Colorado's many 14,000ft+ peaks. It sure did make for a great photo though (and a healthy dose of luck didn't hurt)!

The rough weather made for some amazing sunsets as well!

I've never been that interested in landscape photography in general, but this trip is quickly changing that. I've been shooting a wide variety of panoramas in particular. This one is a 360 degree shot from the top of California Pass, giving an excellent view of the Red Mountains. Make sure to click it and view some of the larger sizes!

I also got a chance to do a little off-roading while in Colorado. This was shot at a place called Yankee Boy Basin after we'd run out of road that the Highlander could handle. It was one heck of a drive to get up there, but photos like this made it oh so worth it.

Colorado also has some awfully brave wildlife! I've only managed to catch a coupe glimpses of Marmots and more exotic fare, but this deer wandered within about 15 feet of me one morning.

Colorado has been great, but now it's off to Texas via White Sands, New Mexico, one of the most beautiful places on earth! Check back soon for some photos that will really blow your mind!

Honoring fallen heroes

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:45:00 +0000

I had the honor of meeting Mike Ehredt yesterday as I made my way from Minnesota to Colorado. Mike was passing near Ames, Iowa as he runs from Oregon to Maine, planting flags each mile, one for each and every American soldier lost in Iraq.

Mike Ehredt, smiling way bigger than I would be if I was running 30 miles a day

When we met up with Mike, a retired postal clerk and Army vet, we dropped my father John, also a retired Army officer, off to ride along with Mike for the day. John will accompany Mike until he is done for the day, then turn north and ride all the way back to the Twin Cities over the next couple days.

Mike and my dad approaching the next mile marker

We met up with Mike at mile marker 110 near Jackson, Iowa, where he planted a flag for Marine Reserve Corporal Steven P. Gill from Round Rock Texas, who was killed by an IED explosion in July 2005. After planting the flag, Mike and John silently saluted Corporal Gill, before pushing on to the next mile marker.

Saluting Corporal Gill one last time

In memory of Marine Corporal Steven P. Gill, just outside Jackson, IA

It was inspiring to see one man jogging on the shoulder of a busy highway, alone with his jogger stroller as cars zipped by just a couple feet away. From the little bit I got to talk to Mike, he seemed like an absolute stand-up guy, and I think what he is doing is very special. We didn't want to delay him long, as he was barely halfway through his day's run, so we bid Mike and my dad farewell and moved on.

Mike and John head east towards Ames, IA, while we head west for Omaha

Conveniently, Mike actually planted a flag for my uncle, Daniel E. Holland (along with the other three soldiers killed with him) in Colorado earlier in the year, and it worked out that as we passed north of Denver the next day we were only a couple miles from the location of Daniels flag. Using the GPS coordinates from the Project America Run site, we were able to locate it without much trouble along Hwy. 93 outside Boulder. Daniel and his family lived in Colorado for a while at one point, and he loved the outdoors, so it was fitting that his memorial was placed just at the foot of the Rocky Mountains just a couple hours from where he'd lived.

The flag planted for Ltc. Daniel Holland, an Army Veteranarian killed in Iraq May, 18, 2006 by a roadside bomb, along with three other soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter

The writing was faded on the ribbon, but you could just make out Daniel E. Holland, San Antonio, Texas. We had a short moment of silence to thank Daniel for his sacrifice, then walked back to the car and continued our trip, heading up into the Rocky Mountains.

The faded but visible writing on the ribbon bears Daniel's rank, age, service, and hometown

I'll leave you with this beautiful sunset at the Nebraska/Colorado border. What a sight to see!

See the Twin Cities by canoe! (or kayak)

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 01:57:00 +0000

Two weekends ago I spent my Saturday and Sunday photographing the Mississippi River Challenge, a fundraising event put on by the Friends of the Mississippi River to raise awareness and fund for their river conservation efforts.

Canoes and kayaks of all shapes, sizes, and colors carpet the put-in point at Coon Rapids Dam

The Mississippi River Challenge takes several hundred paddlers from Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park to Grey Cloud Island in Cottage Grove, bringing them straight through the Twin Cities. Paddlers get to experience a wide variety of environments on the river, including the shallow, fast-flowing waters right below the dam, the tree-lined banks north of Minneapolis, canoeing through the heart of downtown and passing through the locks at St. Anthony falls, and the more industrialized riverfront areas around St. Paul.

Some of the lead kayaks pass beneath the Hwy 610 bridge near the start of the challenge

The trip is spread over two roughly 22-mile days, with the first day ending with a celebration and overnight camp-out at historic Ft. Snelling. I was along to photograph the entire event, running from put-in point to various bridges, overlooks, and rests stops along the way.

Boats fill the landing at Bassett Creek Park where paddlers at lunch provided by Erbert and Gerberts

The event ran very smoothly and everyone I saw seemed to be having a great time. Every rest stop had snacks and drinks furnished by sponsors and served by volunteers, and the food never went unappreciated when the tired and hungry paddlers arrived.

This paddler is excited for the prospect of some R&R at Fort Snelling!

A big thanks goes out to the Friends of the Mississippi River, the long list of sponsors and volunteers, and most of all, the paddlers, for making this year's Mississippi River Challenge a success! Hope to see you next year! In the meantime, check out the galleries here and here!

We did it! Some of the very first paddlers to arrive at the finish at Grey Cloud Island

Trying something new

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:56:00 +0000

I woke up extra early Sunday morning for a chance to try something totally new. Air-to-air photography.

Barry Hammarback pilots his WWII Navy SNJ trainer over Lakeville. Cameraship flown by Scott Romuld.

At Fleming Field in South St. Paul I met up with Scott Romuld, who would be my cameraship pilot in his WWII SNJ trainer for the hop over to to Flying Cloud airport in Eden Prairie (for the 2010 Air Expo. After takeoff we were joined by Barry Hammarback who joined up off our wing in another SNJ (Scott and Barry's aircraft were built in 1943 and are only 13 serial numbers apart). Scott and Barry fly with T-6 Thunder, a Twin Cities-based formation flying team that makes frequent appearances for parades, holidays, sporting events, and special occasions.

An SNJ over Valleyfair

Air-to-air photography brings a whole set of new challenges due to the cramped confines of a cockpit, the slipstream that is liable to steal your headset or camera if you stick it out too far, and the ever present vibration from the 500-hp Pratt & Whitney radial engine mounted up front. Despite all these factors, and the grey, overcast weather, I got some great shots! I owe a huge thank you to Scott and Barry for taking me up, I truly enjoyed the experience! Definitely check back for some more air-to-air work in the future, or to see what a true master of the art can do, check out Max Haynes stuff at Max Air2Air!

Minnesota is awful beautiful from the air in July!

Happy 4th of July!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:38:00 +0000

I watched the Minneapolis fireworks from the Stone Arch Bridge and hauled along the camera and tripod to see what I could get.

I am pretty happy with my results, but I now have an AWESOME idea for a shot, one that I will have to try and get during the Aquatennial fireworks later this month. Also later this month, I'll be photographing the Mississippi River Challenge, a two-day, fund-raising canoe trip from Coon Rapids Dam down to Cottage Grove. Should get some great images, so keep your eyes open for those!

The Great Minnesota Air Show

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:37:00 +0000

This weekend was the first ever Great Minnesota Air Show in Saint Cloud. I was there with the CAF MN Wing the entire weekend, babysitting the B-25 and Red Tail Mustang, and photographing the show.

Despite heavy fog and a low ceiling Saturday morning, both days had excellent flying weather, and all the acts were great!

Miss Mitchell on the ramp at sunrise

The high humidity levels saturday meant lots of cool vapor shots with the F-22 and Blue Angels, including the one below shot during the sneak pass.

Pirated Skies put on an excellent show!

Here is something you don't see every day, a NASA F/A-18 chase plane

The B-25 was a huge hit, both in the air and on static display.

The Red Tail put on a great show as well. It's always a treat to see a warbird like this fly.

The Blue Angels were as good as I've ever seen them.

The local guys from T-6 Thunder made an appearance Sunday

One of the highlights of the show for me was the F-22 Raptor, both it's flight demo and our up close tour courtesy of team superintendent Master Sergeant Greg Gappert.

This is the lovely Denise, who took excellent care of us all weekend, was rewarded with a flight in the Red Tail! Look at the smile on her face!

Most of the CAF guys just before packing up and heading home. From left to right, Dave, Roger, Janaka, me, Terry, Todd, Don, and Donnie in front

All in all the show was a great success! I owe a huge thanks to all the organizers, the CAF MN Wing, and the F-22 Raptor Demo team for making it that way. It definitely satisfied my need for speed, at least until the Duluth show in July!

Tyler and the big number ONE!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 03:52:00 +0000

Tyler is turning one soon, so of course his parent's needed a great photo to send to all their family and friends. We spent some time with him and managed to coax out a few smiles!

This little guy loves the pool, but not as much as a good snack!

Do you have a young one that needs some awesome photos? Shoot me an email!

Big band swing at the CAF Spring Hangar Dance

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Mon, 24 May 2010 20:25:00 +0000

The Roseville Big Band played to a full house!

Saturday was the Minnesota Wings's spring hangar dance, held to raise money to fund the Wing's operations. With perfect weather and some great music (as well as swing dance lessons from TC Swing and the Swing Cats), everyone seemed to be having a blast!

While the B-25 and Mustang were off at an air show in Canada, the wing's other aircraft provided some great atmosphere, and the addition of about half a dozen WWII-vintage antiaircraft guns didn't hurt!

Once again I set up a photo booth to raise additional funds for the wing, this time using the beautiful PT-22 trainer as our backdrop. The PT-22 will actually be making its first post-restoration flight in about a month! If you got your photo taken with the airplanes, just click any of the photos below to browse for yours.

We had some great examples of period uniforms

The dancing went on late into the night, only tapering off around 1AM! If you missed the party, don't worry, because the MN Wing will be hosting their annual Bomber's Moon Ball on September 18. Hope to see you there!

CAF Hangar Dance this weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Wed, 19 May 2010 22:22:00 +0000

Anyone who is looking for something to do Saturday night should stop by the CAF Minnesota Wing's big-band hangar dance! I'll be there photographing the event, so make sure to say hello. There will be food, drink, music, and dancing, and you can check out the B-25 and other Wing aircraft.

Thanks Mom!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Mon, 10 May 2010 05:45:00 +0000

Today (well, yesterday, since it's so late) was Mother's Day. Everybody has a mom, and I just wanted to say thanks to mine, and to all the other mother's out there. Thanks for putting up with us!

My amazing mom, Rita

Her less amazing dog, Sebastian

Being the good son that I am, I made dinner for my mom (and dad, but it was mostly for her), a nice Southwestern style White Chicken Chili. I figure it was the least I could do! See? I have talents OTHER than taking photographs!

Change is good!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:38:00 +0000

I've been making some minor changes to the website and blog this week, mostly concentrating on improving the experience for customers! To that end, I'll be starting a very occasional newsletter to keep past, present, and future clients appraised of what is going on here at Matt Holland Photography, and of course, to make sure nobody misses out on any sales and coupons!

If you're interested in signing up, just go here. I absolutely promise we won't spam you or share your information with anyone else. Whenever you hear from us it will be something awesome!

Hunt for the Cure 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Mon, 03 May 2010 23:20:00 +0000

This past Sunday I woke up early and headed out to Splat Tag to photograph the Hunt for the Cure scenario game, which is produced by the Wild Bunch paintball team, and is held to benefit the Huntington's Disease Society of America.

More than 300 players were there, playing either for the Coalition Forces or Envision Anarchy. Hunt for the Cure is a very mission heavy game, with Wild Bunch players acting as NPCs that need to be recovered or escorted around the field. The weather could not have been better for a day of paintball, and I got some GREAT photos! I've posted a couple below, but make sure to check out the gallery to see the rest!

Also, in order to support the HDSA and the fight against Huntington's Disease, we will be donating 25% of all sales from this event to the HDSA!

The Wild Bunch's Spock dressed as an NPC for a downed pilot mission.

Airshow season approaches

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:47:00 +0000

The CAF B-25 "Miss Mitchell" just got back from the celebration of the 68th anniversary of the Doolittle raid on Tokyo last week, and the crew down at the hangar were busy making sure she is ready for the airshow circuit this summer. I swung by for a couple hours to help out and snap some photos.

Larry Utter inspects the left engine on the B-25 prior to running it up.

Dick Leighninger works the brakes as the B-25 is towed into position for the run up.

Two more CAF members look on as the left engine gets up to speed.

New toys? Yes please!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 04:28:00 +0000

I had a busy couple of weeks, and am now the proud owner of a Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro, Sigma 30mm 1.4, and an Alienbees AB800 strobe! That, combined with the much nicer summer weather means you'll be seeing a lot more photography from me in the coming months. Both lenses are amazing, and I've got some great ideas for the strobe.

Here's a shot of Richard (whom you may recognize as the groom from my recent wedding post) with the Sigma.

And here is a little sample of what the macro can do, both taken down at Como Zoo.

Next weekend we will break from our regular programming and get back to paintball for a bit, as I shoot the Hunt for the Cure Big Game over at Splat Tag. The event will be raising money to fund the fight against Huntington's Disease, so it will be great fun AND for a great cause!

Put them on ice.

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:02:00 +0000

Back in March I photographed a Mites Hockey Jamboree up in Elk River. 3 days of nonstop hockey, with almost 20 teams participating. A couple weeks ago I finally got all the photos edited and posted, and now I am getting around to a blog post on it!

The Elk River arena has got to be the coldest ice arena I've ever been in! I owe a big thanks to Darrin Johnson from Splat Tag paintball field for loaning me his awesome Canon 300mm 2.8L to help out! Boy was that murder on my back though, it might be time to look at monopods. I also rented a Canon 7D, which was amazing (especially the new autofocus system), and is now definitely on my to-buy list.

As always, feel free to check out more hockey photos than you could ever possibly want to see here. If you or anyone you know has a sporting event this summer, and is looking for a photographer, get in touch! I'm always looking for more stuff to shoot!

Plaid (aka Ryan Seacrest) and Lizard (aka Cadillac) tie the knot!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:40:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of attending the wedding of two very good friends this past Saturday. Richard and Elizabeth, who I've known since the first couple days of college, finally walked down the aisle after some six years together. Even though I was just a guest, I brought along my camera to capture some of the fun!

The happy couple, dancing the YMCA

Groomsmen, groom, and yours truly.

Not really sure what was going on here. It was a little awkward for everyone.

Poor Elizabeth (the beautiful bride) was waylaid by an escaped Chippendales dancer. I particularly like Richard's expression in the background.

Congratulations Richard and Elizabeth! Have a blast in Jamaica!