Matt Walker's personal site — writing about software engineering, AI, cloud infrastructure, photography, homelab projects, and hobbies from the Baltimore/DC area.
A striking swallowtail butterfly displays its distinctive wing pattern of pale yellow and bold black stripes, accented by vibrant blue markings near the hindwings. The insect rests gracefully among natural grasses, its symmetrical wings fully open in a moment of quiet repose.
A bicycle rests at an elevated overlook along a hiking trail, offering sweeping views of the mountainous terrain below. The vantage point captures the layers of green forest, a glimmering reservoir nestled in the valley, and distant ridgelines under a partly cloudy sky.
This expertly shaped bonsai exemplifies the Japanese art of miniature tree cultivation, with its carefully balanced canopy and visible trunk structure. The vibrant green foliage and intricate layering showcase years of patient pruning and care, transforming a living tree into a living sculpture.
PitClaw is an in-progress attempt to build an open smoker controller that carries forward what I loved about HeaterMeter and freshens up the experience.
I asked AI to help me upgrade my PC. The first thing it found was a free performance boost I'd been sitting on for years. The lesson isn't about RAM speeds.
Adapting Karpathy's autoresearch pattern to web performance: an autonomous AI agent ran 200 Lighthouse experiments on my Hugo site, reducing worst-page LCP by 20%.
Spiedies, a local Binghamton specialty, cook over glowing coals in this classic outdoor grilling scene. The marinated meat cubes are charred to perfection, embodying the region's beloved street food tradition.
The AI capability boundary is expanding — and so is the surface area where humans matter most. A mental model for navigating the human-AI interface.
What 22 years of EXIF data reveals about when I shoot, what I shoot with, and how photography changed from film-era habits to phone-first instinct.
35 cameras, 22 phones, and a Canon Rebel — 22 years of photography gear traced through 94,000 photos of EXIF data.
Self-hosted fonts, auto-generated CSP hashes, security headers, accessibility, and the caching strategy for a static site.
End-to-end from phone camera to published gallery— a PWA upload tool, AI descriptions, and Hugo image processing.
How I used Python, OpenCV, and Claude Code to find 51 gallery-worthy photos in 723GB of Google Takeout data.
Replacing seven services and a deprecated npm ecosystem with Hugo, GitHub Actions, and Cloudflare Pages.
How plan-as-spec methodology and two commands turned a stale personal site into 44 shipped features.
Nothing says "I take my breakfast seriously" like a proper cast iron hash with perfectly crispy edges and runny yolks. Those snowy trees visible through the windows suggest this winter morning fuel was well-timed.
Nothing says "snow sports season" quite like the business end of a snow blower—at least when you're the one responsible for clearing the driveway. The satisfying geometry of fresh-cut snow tracks and that cheerful red engine are the silver lining to winter's demands in the Baltimore/DC area.
Nothing says winter sports quite like an urban snow park lit up like a neon dream. The parallel lanes and dramatic blue lighting give serious winter vibes—this is what peak snow season looks like when you're chasing that adrenaline rush without having to trek far from civilization.
That golden hour magic where the sky puts on a show and you're just grateful you hiked up to catch it. The Appalachian valleys really do have their own particular beauty—all those rolling ridges and agricultural patches stretching out to the hazy horizon, reminding you why this region is worth exploring on foot.
Matt Walker — software engineer, photographer, and serial hobbyist in the Baltimore/DC area. Building data platforms, AI infrastructure, and too many side projects.
The tools, gadgets, and equipment Matt Walker uses for work, photography, coffee, and everyday life.
What Matt Walker is focused on right now — current work, side projects, and interests. Inspired by nownownow.com.
The technology stack behind mrmatt.io — Hugo, PaperMod, Cloudflare Pages, GitHub Actions, and AI-powered photo publishing.
Nine years later, mrmatt.io gets a proper rebuild. Same Hugo engine, but Cloudflare Pages, GitHub Actions, PaperMod theme, and zero npm dependencies.
Weverton Cliffs on the Appalachian Trail — the Potomac River below and Maryland mountains stretching into the distance on Christmas Eve.
Singletrack through the woods — fat tires and leaf litter on a summer trail ride.
Late summer in the Shenandoah, where every overlook feels like it was specifically designed to make you stop and stare. That pop of red foliage in the foreground is getting a head start on fall.
Maryland blue crabs piled high and covered in J.O. — a summer tradition.
Superhot peppers turning red on the vine in the summer garden — wrinkled skins and vivid color signaling they're almost ready to pick.
The home espresso setup — Gaggiuino Gaggia Classic pulling a profiled shot alongside the grinder and a fresh iced coffee.
Homegrown superhot peppers fresh from the garden — sliced open to reveal the heat inside.
Where the Potomac carves its way through the mountains at Harpers Ferry. Two ridgelines, one river, and the kind of scene that made Thomas Jefferson call it "worth a voyage across the Atlantic."
A perfectly manicured lawn displays the striking striped pattern created by directional mowing. The alternating light and dark green rows stretch toward the roadside, demonstrating the satisfaction of meticulous yard maintenance.
A carpet of delicate mushrooms emerges from the mulch after summer rain, their thin stems and small caps dotting the ground beneath the trees.
Late night smoke session on the GMG — the red glow of the controller and wisps of smoke against the dark backyard.
Towering cypress trees emerge from calm, mirror-like water in this peaceful swamp landscape. The interplay of reflected sky and verdant growth creates a tranquil natural sanctuary, where the forest and water exist in quiet harmony.
The boardwalk equivalent of "trust the process" -- you can't see where it ends, but the journey looks pretty good. Those railing shadows are putting on a free geometric art show.
Sun setting over the Chesapeake Bay — the bridge stretching across the horizon as the sky turns deep orange and red.
Evening ride to the beach — fat tire e-bike resting on the boardwalk as the sun dips below the horizon.
Ancient oaks laden with Spanish moss create a serene and atmospheric corridor through this shaded forest. The path invites exploration deeper into the quiet woods, where dappled sunlight filters through the hanging strands overhead.
This view captures the impressive scale of the Hoover Dam, showing its distinctive curved concrete face against the dramatic rocky landscape of the Black Canyon. The combination of human engineering and desert geology creates a striking contrast between the smooth dam surface and the jagged natural rock formations surrounding it.
The heart of Hoover Dam's power generation facility stretches into the distance, with massive turbine generators aligned in precision down the center of this cavernous underground chamber. An American flag hangs prominently overhead, marking the scale and significance of this engineering landmark that has powered the Southwest since 1936.
Desert flora at Red Rock Canyon outside Las Vegas — cholla, yucca, and sagebrush against the red sandstone cliffs.
The Sphere in Las Vegas — an immersive concert experience with a wraparound LED screen painting a sunset over mountains.
The Sphere doing what it does best -- being the world's most expensive billboard in the middle of the desert. Dead & Company at the Sphere is the kind of show that makes you fly to Vegas without thinking twice.
A nostalgic scene capturing retro gaming alongside modern streaming entertainment. The classic arcade cabinet and contemporary Netflix content tell the story of how entertainment has evolved over decades.
Meat cooks on vertical rotating skewers, building up layers of caramelized, charred exterior while staying tender inside. The technique creates that signature smoky crust and juicy texture that makes this Mexican street food classic so distinctive.
A hearty camping meal spread across weathered wood, featuring a perfectly grilled steak and classic sides with cold drinks nearby. The simple setup captures the satisfaction of cooking and eating well in the great outdoors.
Morning stop on the marsh boardwalk — miles of green wetland stretching to the treeline under a summer sky.
Golden hour ride through the coastal marshlands — the e-bike resting trailside as the sun drops low over the wetlands.