Matt Johnson

Hailing from Judson, Minnesota Matt Johnson has been immersed in photography for over two decades. His passion began in a high school darkroom developing other people’s images for the yearbook. Following high school, he attended a two-year photography program in Minnesota which led to his first professional job shooting weddings. Although Matt quickly realized that wedding photography was not his passion, his love for the craft flourished. 

Named for the road he grew up on in Minnesota, Fort Road Photography came to fruition in May 2014. Matt’s photos are comprised of what he sees when he’s on the road including sweeping landscapes, lifestyle photos of musicians, people he observes along the way, and anything else that catches his eye. Being on the road means a number of things, whether Matt is taking road trips across America, is on tour with Knick Knack Records band GravelRoad, or spending two months backpacking across Europe to see what inspires him. https://knickknackrecords.com

Hitting the road as a band photographer was incredibly exciting for Matt because he truly loves music. He still buys vinyl and appreciates music’s ability to inspire artists to create something unique. Hired by Knick Knack Records in May 2017 to document GravelRoad, Matt traveled to Europe and spent a month on the road with the band which took him through the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Czech Republic, and Germany.

In an effort to capture and highlight the abstract and surreal world around him, Matt has traveled extensively – both by airplane and car. The result is an eclectic catalog of photographs from the places he’s explored including Australia, Japan, France, Spain, New Mexico, Montana, and Nebraska, just to name a few. Additionally, every year he takes road trips specifically to wander around, see new landscapes, and take photos. He will zig zag around the country, mostly the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and the Rocky Mountains, to observe and shoot what each environment has to offer. By viewing the world through an uninhibited lens, Matt demonstrates authenticity through the images he captures.

Once the photos have been printed, Matt takes Fort Road Photography back to its roots. His father and brother are woodworkers so every frame is custom-designed and handmade for each print. And the family affair doesn’t stop there. Matt’s mother handles all the matting and is able to cut glass up to five feet for larger format pieces.
 

Additional Highlights:

• One of Matt’s photos was selected by Colorado Mountain College (Edwards campus) faculty members to be purchased and hung in the school’s library.                            ​

• Fort Road Photography is also featured in people’s homes across the country.

When Matt is not taking photos, he can be found snowboarding, listening to music, spending too much money on vinyl, and deciding where to take his next road trip.