Art & Life with Matt Bloomfield

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Bloomfield.

Matt, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’m just a corn-fed Midwesterner from Indiana who came out to Arizona in 2011 and absolutely fell in love with everything about it. Two years later, I made the move to Flagstaff, where I fell deeper in love with Arizona and the Southwest as a whole. I wasn’t a photographer when I lived back in Indiana; I never even owned my own camera. After living here for just a couple months and getting to hike a fair amount of the area, I knew I had to buy my own camera so I could capture all the beauty I was experiencing. I slowly taught myself the ropes over the first couple years and now we’re here; with some slight improvements! I’m not yet a professional photographer by any means. I will always consider myself a hiker/backpacker/adventurer, first and foremost, and a photographer second. I get to see some amazing parts of nature and then I get to share those small snapshots with others. That’s really the best part for me and how I stay motivated in growing with my art.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I mainly shoot landscape and adventure photography; with the occasional commercial product shoots just for the perks. I just go out and enjoy myself in nature and I try to bring my audience in for the ride. Whether that be on a mountain, in a canyon, on a river, in the forest, or in the desert. I greatly enjoy variety in landscapes; something Arizona has in spades. This region has so much to offer and I want people to see that and get inspired to go outside, explore, and experience new things. If they do this, they’re more likely to have a greater appreciation for the natural world around them and become better stewards of our environment. That’s something I really hope to cultivate with my photos.

Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
I think it’s become difficult to make a stamp on the industry with its current accessibility. The internet has allowed a mass of people to publish their content. Naturally, that has resulted in an oversaturation. I believe the viewership algorithms used by many online platforms are also hurting the growth of budding artist. If you’re not immediately getting those likes or comments under your photo, it’s a lot less likely that your content will make it to the screens of others. That has a deep impact in a world where exposure is an important key to success. Local businesses in our community can help alleviate some of the stress of that all-important exposure by showcasing an artist’s work in their shops. One of the things I love about Flagstaff is the support of downtown businesses. Several of them hang prints made by local photographers along the walls in restaurants or coffee shops. It really makes a big difference for artists when they can get their work in front of a captive audience in physical form.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
1. They can visit my online portfolio @arizonaadventurer.smugmug.com. There, I have images from throughout Arizona and other places in and out of the U.S. Images are available for print and digital download.

2. They can follow my Instagram page @arizona_adventurer.

Contact Info:

• Website: arizonaadventurer.smugmug.com
• Email: mattbloomfield27@yaho.com
• Instagram: arizona_adventurer

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.