Here are the questions I asked Brent, along with his answers. Prepare to be amazed. :)
Were you born without an arm or did you lose it later in life? I was
born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at Fort Carson Army Base. I was born
without my left forearm. My arm did not develop from just below my elbow. I still have full use of my elbow. I had to
basically teach myself everything, because nobody knew how to teach me.
Did your parents/ family push you to do
things or were they over-protective of you? My parents are the reason I am who I am today. They didn’t
treat me any differently. They let me fail and make mistakes. They encouraged
me, but didn’t do things for me. If I wanted to do anything, I had to figure it
out myself.
How does driving a car work for you? When I was 14 years old, my dad began
teaching me to drive. At 15, he told me if I wanted a driver’s license, I must
learn to drive a stick shift first. I drove my first car, a 1959, 2 wheel drive
Chevy pick-up, all through high school. I also drove a Yamaha TT600 Enduro
motorcycle.
Was it harder to get a driver’s license
having only one hand? When
I got my license, it was an easy test. I drove around town, stopped for a soda,
drove back to the DMV and told the employee I wanted a motorcycle license. He said, “Can you ride a bike?” and laughed.
Then he said, “Smile. Here’s your temporary. Your permit will be here in a couple
of weeks.”
How do you handle shaking hands? I shake right hands. Most people do. I have
never had to worry about that.
Have you ever dreamed that you had two
hands? I have wondered
what it would be like, but it’s never stopped me from doing anything, so I
don’t worry about it.
How do you tie your shoes? The same way everyone else does, but it
took me longer to learn. I was 9 years old, but I was so excited about it that
I can still remember where it happened.
Have you always had a passion for
photography? I have always loved photography. My parents
gave me a Canon T70 when I was in high school, but while I was working as a
tour guide on the Colorado River, I took my camera on a trip and someone stole
it. I couldn’t afford to replace it, so I
had to resort to point and shoot cameras, but I never let my passion go. I went
to Montana to work with my friend, Greg Olmstead. He and his dad, Dave, were
into photography and they would take me to Yellowstone National Park a lot.
Dave had three different cameras and he would let me use one. They could see I
loved taking pictures, so Greg and Dave bought me a Nikon camera with kit lens
18-55 mm, and a 55-300 mm lens for Christmas in 2011. The rest is history. My
photography has exploded since then. Now I’m opening my own business. You can find me at...
and
In regards to your photography, did you
have to adapt your equipment in any way or have you developed a technique that
helps you? I did not adapt my camera or equipment. I use the camera lenses just like anyone
else. I have added an 85 mm for
portraits and a sigma 150-500 mm for birding and wildlife, and am able to hand
hold these without any trouble.
There’s a picture of you rowing a boat
with gloves on. Can you explain how you do this? I love rafting and I wanted to row my
own boat, just like everyone else. I couldn’t
hold an oar in my left arm, so I started experimenting. My first attempt was
bolting a water ski glove to the oar. It worked great. I could strap my arm in and pull/push just
like everyone else. The only drawback was the glove would start wearing out and
tear apart. Then I got an idea to use a strap. I took a yellow strap, cut it
about 12 inches long and had it sewn together. I put a Velcro tab on both ends
and one in the middle, then I took another piece of yellow strap, made a circle
to fit my arm, and had it sewn to the top/middle of one end of the strap. I fastened
the strap around the oar and took 3 hose clamps, one on each end and one in the
middle, to secure it. This allows me to slide my arm in and out and row through
the roughest of rapids, without worrying about losing my oar. It works just
like a hand. I have always had the
mindset, “If there is a will, there is a way.” I just do things a little bit
different than other people. That’s all.
What is one quality of yourself that you
are proud of? I have a
“to hell with everyone who looks at me as handicapped” attitude. I can do
anything that anyone else can and I’ll probably do it better! My attitude
started in 3rd grade, when I heard a coach trying to talk my parents out of
letting me play basketball. I later made
the all-star team and played as starting point guard in high school. If there
is something I want to do, I will figure out a way to do it. I’m not
handicapped. Society puts that logo on individuals. I tell people all the time, “The only handicap
is your mind. If you think you can’t do it, you’re handicapping yourself."
Do you have a bucket list? If
so, what are your top 3 things? I would love to go to Alaska and take
pictures of wildlife there. That would be my ultimate dream! I want to visit
Costa Rica and go fishing for Marlin and explore the tropics while taking
pictures. I would like to go to the Daytona 500 in Daytona, Florida sometime. It’s
nice to have dreams, but I can’t afford any of these things right now. It’s hard
to get a good paying job missing an arm.
What is one thing about you that you wish
everybody knew? I’m no
different than anyone else. I’m not handicapped. I’m a normal human being and I
don’t want to be treated any differently.
Thank you Brent, for allowing me and my readers to learn more about you. Not only are you talented, but your words, attitude, and photographs are encouraging and inspirational!
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