Making a Photographer: Mattice Aaland

Growing up, I wasn't very artistic. I remember a specific occasion when my sixth grade art teacher smashed any hopes and dreams I had of being visually creative. It was the year I turned to music. But in high school I picked up two years of photography for a challenge. I wasn't very good, honestly. Too shy to ask people to pose for me I ended up shooting mostly trees and barns (I grew up in Fargo, ND where there are an overabundance of both).

Jump ahead half a decade and I'm looking down at my new born son as he takes his first breath and looks up at me with his bright blue eyes. Never had I ever felt a need to photograph something as much as I did in that moment. I realized with each passing breath that every moment spent was another I could never get back. I picked up the camera once again, this time with a purpose.

Documenting my family as it grew and added another baby and then started to mature has been the greatest honor I could ever have imagined. Watching my wife as she has become the woman and mother I knew she would be has been amazing to capture and be a part of.

As my family grew and strengthened, I stepped away from my music and whole-heartedly stepped into the role of documentarian.  Learning from my family, especially the babies as they started to walk and then run has given me the tools to document any situation and capture the moment. Now I turn my sights on your family, your event, your moment. 

In the Fox River Valley, especially Batavia, we have some gorgeous parks and neighborhoods. I look forward to meeting your family where they are best. Show me your true self and I will capture that moment and freeze it in time.