A few years ago, pictures started surfacing of muscled horses and determined riders dashing through the red dust clouds of rural Oklahoma. While the quality and clarity was a signature unto itself, these pictures had another name attached: Matthew Treptow.
A native of Sulphur, Oklahoma, Treptow didn’t start out walking the cowboy way. He spent his earlier years with a distinctive skater punk style, enjoying the adrenaline of four wheels over four legs. A time of transition started during junior high when he purchased a film camera at a local pawn shop and quickly became the kid carrying it around and taking pictures of everything in sight. Repetitive practice, paired with YouTube videos and internet tutorials, slowly took him beyond the point and click phase and gave him an interest in furthering his knowledge. His determination and dedication served him well, and his talents began to grow.
Towards the end of high school, Matt helped clean stalls at a local barn and connected with Tony Mendez, a bull rider staying at the ranch at the time. They talked through technique while working in the barn and then that night Mendez lent Matt his vest and rope, allowing him to cover his first bull. Treptow loved it and had a blast riding for a season before other life responsibilities led to an end to his bull riding.
While he was slowly becoming more immersed in the cowboy world, an artistic turning point came when Matt had the opportunity to attend several clinics with 2022 Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) photographer of the year Click Thompson. Incorporating feedback and technique from Thompson and adapting it to his own personal style and vision allowed him to capture even more minute but crucial moments in the seconds-long rodeo world.
After the initial clinic, Matt was chosen to assist Thompson and photograph the Patriot in Ft. Worth and the Rising Stars/Oklahoma’s Richest in Guthrie. He was even able to travel to Hilo, Hawaii and document an open rodeo. Some of his clients include: Billy Cook Saddles, 3C Cattle Feeders, and BEX sunglasses.
Most recently, Treptow was hired by the Cattaneo Bros beef jerky company based out of California to document their sponsored ropers skills at the Bob Feist Invitational. During this event he also captured dynamic shots of famous competitors like Trevor Brazile.
As his portfolio has expanded, his equipment has too, and he now shoots with a Canon R5 and 24-70 mm, 70-200 mm, and a 300 mm as his most used lenses.
As he looks toward the future, Matt plans to get his PRCA card and work to preserve the memories created at pro rodeos. He is not afraid to get down in the dirt and dance around racing animals to get the right angles and this sense of adventure transitions into how he spends his free time–roping in the practice pen and horseback riding. He has also dipped his toes into steer wrestling thanks to the guidance of friends who compete.
Perhaps the biggest influence on his career came from his father-in-law, Doug Carpenter. A legend in the performance horse world and former AQHA world champion, Carpenter was an expert in the western pleasure industry.
Not only did Carpenter share his unique insights and affinity for horses with Treptow, but he was also an avid photographer who would do his own photography on horses he had for sale.
Although he sadly passed away from COVID in 2020, he is well-remembered, and his horsemanship has been commemorated with inductions into the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Association (OQHA), the National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA), and the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Hall of Fames. His legacy also lives on with his family and these passions instilled in Matt and his wife Kelly.
With this internal motivation and his own talent, Treptow is sure to go far in the industry. Regardless of where the event is occurring, Treptow brings the same level of devotion to shooting a six-year-old mutton busting as he does to documenting competitors who are household names. You can check out more of his photography here: Matt Treptow Photography (mypixieset.com)
