Rocket Launches, Portraits, and Landscapes (Oh My!): UVAFinance Photographer Does It All

Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft launch

UVAFinance’s own Matt Bonham, an accomplished professional photographer, uses his camera to get closer to his interests. The latest adventure that’s taken him on was to photograph Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket and Cygnus resupply spacecraft launch, bound for the International Space Station (ISS).

Bonham participated in the launch through the NASA Social program, which gives those interested in NASA who have a social media presence the opportunity to gain behind-the-scenes access to NASA facilities and experts. To get a “creative refresh” (as he puts it), meet new people with similar interests, and tour interesting places such as a NASA control room, Bonham applied for the program and NASA selected him.

“It was just one of those cool, once-in-a-lifetime type of experiences, and I’m grateful to have been a part of it,” Bonham says.

On Feb. 15, 2020, Bonham set up at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility here in Virginia for the third time, having been ready twice before when the mission got scrubbed. He prepped two cameras: one set up lower with a remote wireless trigger via phone app and another at a higher angle to shoot by hand. He’d arrived about an hour ahead of time to get his equipment ready. Since he shoots in manual mode, he adjusted the camera settings every minute or so. It was key to get the timing right. The countdown neared launch and at three seconds he triggered the lower camera, tossed his phone, and began snapping rapid shots by hand with the higher camera. As evidenced by the pictures, Bonham’s approach worked.

The launch was Northrop Grumman’s 13^th supply mission with NASA, and Cygnus carried over 7,000 pounds of scientific experiments and crew supplies to ISS. In the future, Bonham hopes to photograph a manned launch.

Bonham started in photography in childhood, taking pictures of landscapes and family members. A self-described introvert, Bonham explained that photography helped him come out of his shell.

“I always felt I had weird ways of seeing the world. Among other ways, I also see the world in the rule of thirds,” Bonham says. In photography, the rule of thirds is an approach to composition where images are broken into three sections horizontally and vertically and that helps determine where to position the subject of the photo.

“Photography has helped me understand stories about people. It’s helped me capture things that I love and expanded my self-confidence.”

Transitioning from family photographer to professional, Bonham continued with landscapes and portraiture. His work branched into photographing concerts for several national publications. Taking pictures at the benefit concert: A Concert for Charlottesville and of Gregory Alan Isakov performing with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center were among some of his favorite experiences.

“I want to represent performers as they are as artists, their uniqueness,” Bonham says. “I don’t want just another music shot of someone eating a mic. I want my work to be different than others.”

Bonham advises aspiring photographers to take photos in manual mode. He started that way and made many mistakes but, more importantly, learned a lot. Doing so enables people learn about how the camera works and gain confidence. His other advice is to practice, and, when it comes to equipment, start small. Get the best gear one can to make the most of the investment, he suggests, but doing research and buying items when people are sure they need them will save them from trying to sell expensive unnecessary equipment later. 

“A camera is one of the best ways for someone to express themselves creatively,” Bonham says.

To see more of Bonham’s work, visit his website at www.mattbonham.com.