Photography by Brent Umphlett
Artist: Brent Umphlett — Brent Umphlett Photography
Brent was born in Cody, WY and spent the first 14 years of his childhood living in the small town of Basin, WY. After that his family moved to Artesia, NM, where he spent the next four years before going to the University of Oklahoma to study meteorology. He spent the subsequent 14 years in the Oklahoma City metro area. In late 2021 he made the move to northwest Arkansas (NWA) and now calls Springdale, AR home.
Brent found his passion for photography after receiving a DSLR as a Christmas gift in 2007, after his first semester of college. Although a bit overwhelming at first, he slowly learned how to use it and adjust the settings to get the images he wanted. His early photography was varied but now focuses on mountain wilderness and fire hydrants. He made fine art prints of his photography for a short period from mid-2019 to early 2021 and in early 2023 he started making prints again.
Brent is an experienced backpacker with many multi-day trips in the Rockies, 164 miles of the Ozark Highlands Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail under his belt. The hiking opportunities around NWA were one of the big draws that brought him to NWA in late 2021.
In his free time, in addition to hiking and photography, Brent enjoys running, cooking/baking, reading, listening to podcasts, and volunteering at the Best Friends Pet Resource Center.
ARTIST STATEMENT
More than just an image on a screen or paper, my photographs provide an avenue to share my story and passions with the world and to use a talent of mine to make a difference. I love spending time in the mountains soaking in nature and admiring their beauty, and my photographs allow me to memorialize these special moments and places and share them with others. An interest in firefighting didn’t lead to a career as a fire fighter, but to photographing fire hydrants, in which I can present an often-overlooked everyday object in a unique way, and which provides motivation to explore new places. Doing good and giving back is important to me and I use my art to give something back to causes and places tied to my photography.
I personally make all my prints in my home “studio” on archival paper using an Epson SureColor P900 printer and then mat each print with archival materials. Frames are done by a local frame shop. Each of my prints is made to be a high-quality piece of art you are proud to own and display.
