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[May 23rd, 2007 ]
A child of Math, Science and English, Christopher T Martin earned a degree in Anthropology, where he developed his interest in observing people and interactions. Photography came about as a hobby, starting in the black and white darkroom of a local community center. Once it got into his blood and ruined his fingernails, it was off to art school in Atlanta, to get the bones of photography. Years later, it is not only a job it is his life. As his client base grows, so does the artistic vision. Still studying people, he hopes his photographs steal the soul in a positive way.
How does your background in Anthropology play into your picture taking?
I've always been interested in people. Watching how they interact and relate with their environment is great. You want a person to be comfortable with who they are and where they are. They want to be beautiful and interesting. Sometimes this is obvious when behind the camera, other times it must be drawn out of a person. You have to break down the insecurities and allow the true person to be seen. A person can change when a camera is pointed at them, for good or bad. In either case, a great image can be taken of them.
What typically motivates your vision for an image?
First of all, you have to get an image the client can use and is happy with. After that, it is being true to the subject. You may have only had a few minutes with the person before the shoot, but you have to allow some personality to be evident. You want to capture that spontaneous moment when it all clicks. Lighting, composition and background are all important. They have to appear as if they are a part of the scene, yet stand out from it.
Do you find that your style has changed as trends move from film to digital?
I was a bit reluctant for the change. I don't feel I shoot too differently except for the technical aspects. I get to shoot more frames, but that just makes my edits harder. Digital motivates me to get bigger jobs and I enjoy putting together an expert team to produce the shoot.
What have you been working on lately?
Editorials are keeping me busy. My client base has expanded quite a bit this year. I shoot mostly environmental portraits, but my subject matter has been pretty diverse: Technology, hip-hop, sports, entrepreneurs, and religion. I have clients from all over the country. The variety is great. I've only marketed myself heavily over the past 2 years, so I am still young in comparison to a lot of shooters out there. I am starting to get nationally exposed clients so more people can see my images and my name. It is starting to really click and I am excited for the future!
If you could take a portrait of one person, who would it be?
The Dalai Lama would be exciting. Hopefully some of his wisdom would rub off.
What would you do?
Whatever he thought looks good. An exterior, but you would need great clouds on that day. Keep it personal while making it epic. Is that even possible?
What would you like to be your main focus to be for the next 5-6 years?
First off, I hope to find an artist rep with the right fit for me this year.
I want to get into more conceptual images with a higher production value. More people. Bigger scenes. I've started to do more work in advertising and I definitely want that to grow. I want to continue to travel and I am not picky about the locale. I have as much fun in a highway side motel in middle Florida as I would at the Ritz in Paris. People are people. I just want to enjoy the ride!
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