Instructor Spotlight Matthew Asai
Matthew Asai has explored nearly every corner of the country, thanks to a career that took him across multiple military stations and a lifelong love of public lands. After 32 years working for the federal government, he moved from Virginia to St. George in 2018. He has set a personal goal to visit all 63 U.S. National Parks and only 11 remain on his list. Photography has been a natural consequence of visiting beautiful landscapes. As a volunteer photographer for Virginia State Parks, he documented 18 parks and taught seminars at several of them. His work has appeared in numerous Virginia publications, and he taught Digital Photography for the Stafford Parks and Recreation Department. He also helped lead the Fredericksburg Fresh Start Photography Group before relocating west, and he continues to stay active in the craft as a member of the Color Country Camera Club.
Matthew Asai Skiing, another lifelong passion, began with his father. Matthew grew up visiting the mountains of Maryland, where his father, who was an Army ski jumper, taught him to ski and ice skate. Matthew rediscovered the sport in college, encouraged by a skiing roommate, and continued to pursue it while stationed in places ranging from Iowa to Illinois. He jokes that skiing in Iowa mostly meant descending the bluffs near the Mississippi River, nothing like our rugged Utah mountains.
Matthew Asai (center in hat) with Fall '25 photography class members.
Matthew first came to ICL as a student, taking classes before stepping into an instructor role. When the leader of an existing southern Utah skiing Meetup group stepped down, Matthew took over, helping maintain the group that now includes participants from Mesquite to Logan and a mix of ICL members and nonmembers.
Matthew (front right) with Ski Club members at Brian Head In addition to leading the ICL Ski Club, Matthew also serves as the official photographer for many ICL events and regularly teaches an Introduction to DSLR Cameras course. His goal is to help ICL members gain the confidence to move beyond automatic settings and take control of their photography. Early classes focus on understanding camera functions, while later sessions explore composition and creative techniques. This Fall, he'll be teaching the class with Saturday morning photo walks. Whether on the slopes or behind the lens, Matthew brings enthusiasm, experience, and a spirit of exploration to the ICL community. Article written by ICL Social Media Intern Ava Knudsen.
ICL Lifelong Learning
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