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Volume 11, Issue 6, Week of February 17, 2014
Saskatoonʼs REAL Community Newspaper
Jim Brompton’s scenic photos attract attention at Art Preserve in Saskatoon
Photographer’s art makes you go “wow” Cam Hutchinson Saskatoon Express
ing something hanging on a wall that when people walk in and stand in awe and look at it is my goal. I work very e calls it the “wow factor.” hard at trying to get that. Without it Jim Brompton’s “We travel to remote areas and go to photographs wouldn’t be selling places that can offer a special scene and around the world. then I work it very hard to make sure I Born in Lloydminster and raised in get what I want before I leave.” Tisdale, Brompton moved to Saskatoon Brompton’s wife Cindy is the other in 1970. He started shooting profession- half of the “we.” ally in 1978. “She is a huge part of it no doubt. “I went at it like most photographers She doesn’t take a lot of pictures, but do: weddings and family portraits and has a good eye herself. She helps me things like that,” he said of his early coordinate all the trips. We love to travel years. “It didn’t take long before I found together and we love to hike into remote out I truly enjoyed the outdoors and areas.” wanted to capture photographs of special The two are in the western United places that come with the ‘wow factor,’ States this winter. At the top of the list if that is a good term.” of places to shoot are the Painted Hills Photography didn’t pay the bills back in Oregon. They have been to Australia, then. It wasn’t until five years ago that New Zealand, Hawaii and the southwesthe left 9-to-5 life in the insurance busiern United States in recent winters. ness to shoot full-time. To sell his work, Brompton said he Taking photos in the solitude and has to keep his prices down. He said beauty of the outdoors beats the heck the majority of his art is sold to “everyout of trying to get babies to stop crying body.” long enough for a family portrait, and “Everybody can afford it; they start at trying to keep grandpa sober for wed$20. There is a price point for everyone, ding photos. which is really good. That was my goal Brompton wanted to create fine art. to make it affordable so everybody can “A lot of people can take snapshots have a nice piece of art hanging on their and do that quite well, but actually hav- wall that has signature on it, that has
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been printed by hand and there is a his- with me had a guitar and his Navaho tory behind it, too. friend had a flute. And we were in this “That is the thing I find most people chamber while I was photographing it. I are interested in; when I do my showings didn’t want to leave; it was really mystipeople will come up to me at the table cal.” and say, ‘Where did you get it?’ And I While Brompton travels to photogewill tell the story about actually taking nic locations to shoot, his money shots it. The story that goes with the image are found in northern Saskatchewan. makes the sale.” “Aurora is spectacular. I have phoOne of his favourite stories goes with tographed it so many times. National (Continued on page 4) an image called the Eagle and the Chief. “We made a trip down to Antelope Canyon (in Arizona). I went in with Navaho guides and photographed the canyon. In one spot there is an area where they do some worshipping. It looks like the face of a chief and above it is an eagle’s head. “This has all been created by natural water flow. When I photographed that, the guide that was Jim Brompton travels extensively taking unique pictures