Matthew Klein Films

10/22/2026

10/12/2026

Back in 2022, I created the Starved Rock & Matthiessen State Park Calendar Fundraiser to bring people together through photography and give back.

Five years later, I'm proud to see how much it's grown. Thanks to the incredible support of our community, the fundraiser has now raised more than $43,000 to support our state parks through the Starved Rock Foundation.

I'm excited to share that the 2027 calendar is officially back! This year's edition features 13 talented contributors who captured some of the very best of Starved Rock and Matthiessen throughout the seasons.

A special thank you to the Miller Group Charitable Trust for continuing to support this fundraiser through its generous matching contributions.

What started as a small idea has become something I look forward to bringing back every year. Thank you to everyone who continues to make it possible!

You can find the 2027 calendar at locations throughout the Starved Rock region and online; https://www.starvedrock.org/post/2027-starved-rock-matthiessen-calendars-now-available

Annual fundraiser returns following last year’s record sellout, with 100% of proceeds supporting Starved Rock and Matthiessen State ParksOGLESBY, IL, October 6, 2026 — The 2027 Starved Rock & Matthiessen Calendar is now available at locations throughout the Starved Rock region and online, contin...

09/24/2026

Starved Rock deserves to be part of the national conversation around fall travel. So it was pretty cool to help get it there.

The Weather Channel recently featured Starved Rock as one of the country’s underrated fall color destinations, alongside places like Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, the Ozarks, Taos, New Mexico, and Columbia River Gorge.

We know how special fall is here. Check it out!
Matthew Klein Photography |

09/22/2026

And just like that, fall is here 🍁
Council Overhang at its most colorful.

Photo captured October 2021.

09/17/2026

09/13/2026

The strongest destination stories are built around people. Most tourism campaigns focus on what someone can do when they arrive. We wanted to focus on who they would encounter and why that matters.

That shift creates stronger storytelling and a better reason to visit. It was a pleasure to hang out with James for a few days and raft the Colorado!

09/11/2026

In 2021, I first learned about a place called Clark’s Falls.
After receiving permission to visit the property, I began photographing it, and over the next several years, every visit left me a little more amazed by what was there and what it could someday become.

Tonight, that possibility took a major step forward.
The Village of Utica announced its intention to acquire the property containing Clark’s Falls and form a strategic planning committee to begin identifying the next steps toward a future public park.

For a community already known as the gateway to Starved Rock, the opportunity to preserve this place and eventually make it accessible to the public is incredibly significant. I truly believe this has the potential to be one of the most transformational projects for Utica and our region in the past 20 or 25 years.

It was especially meaningful tonight to see some of the photographs I’ve taken of Clark’s Falls over the years on display as part of the announcement and to think back to those first visits and now have the opportunity to help with what comes next.

There is a lot of work ahead, but I’m honored to play a part in helping shape the future of Clark’s Falls and excited for what this could mean for Utica for generations to come.

09/02/2026

New work for Starved Rock Lodge!

08/14/2026

By popular request, Fall at French Canyon is back on the wall. 🍂

After the first piece found a home so quickly, I’ve put another 15" × 30" glossy metal print on display at Jeremiah Joe in downtown Ottawa.

Photos are always better experienced in person. So stop in, grab a coffee, and check it out while it’s there.