Sometimes you have no idea how cool your other half is until they introduce you to a super-talented Photographer, Creative Director and all-round nice guy such as Darren Martin, and in my attempts to be cool by association, I’m pretty pleased to be reworking that introduction to all you keen readers out there. With a portfolio of stop-you-in-your-tracks portraiture, vintage-esq landscapes and overseas scenes – it’s such a pleasure to share Darren’s incredible work with a little Q&A here on Cohabitaire…

Hey there Darren and thanks for taking time out for Cohabitaire. Let’s get the run-down – what’s your story? How did you get started as a Photographer?

I started my career as a graphic artist in the creative department of a small marketing agency. One of my jobs was to spend countless hours in the darkroom producing hundreds of 6×7 press release prints at a time for sheep shearing equipment that would be sent out to PR & Marketing firms. This was my introduction to the world of photography and “magic”. Watching the images come to life as you’d expose and process the prints was fascinating to say the least, but it wasn’t until later life that I truly embraced the art and craft of photography.

Starting with a basic digital photography course I have since become a sponge in relation to all things photography and I spend too much time on the net researching and learning and spending way too much money on books and magazines. In the “real world” I’m an art based advertising Creative Director.

Your photos have a very raw edge about them, I love your use of subdued hues that give your subjects such honesty. Can you tell us a bit about your style and how it has evolved?

Not only do I like taking the actual photos, I really like processing them. However, I don’t like the time it takes as I’m the type of person who once they do something, does it 110%. Which usually causes me grief as I always make things hard for myself making sure I’m happy with it, which more often than I’m not! haha. I’m my own harshest critic.

But processing, I feel, takes your images to another level. I don’t have a problem tweaking colours, levels, etc in Camera Raw & Photoshop to give my images a certain “treatment”, ultimately giving me my own certain look. I guess I tend to produce images that are somewhat moody in look, you could say, but thanks to my art background I like to think that my pictures are graphic in nature and always have maximum visual impact. You mentioned Raw, I like the term “Raw Refined”, to possibly define my look. I like to produce good looking images that are pleasing to the eye and well composed, but also with some sort of story behind them.

What are your favourite locations / times of day / scenes to shoot and what makes them so special?

Hmm, I’m a sucker for overseas travel, and I’ve been blessed to be able to travel the word fairly extensively, so yes, anywhere where I’m experiencing different places, people and cultures, then that’s when my eye becomes focused on potential pictures. But you don’t have to go o.s. to find something special. I tend to look for alternative scenarios to shoot like my 50′s Fair Day series, and my recent Muay Thai photo series from Thailand. As for my favourite time of day to shoot, that’s not an issue. It’s what’s happening in front of me that counts, regardless of the time.

Can you share with us the most recent/favourite photo on your camera and explain a bit about it? 

This picture (below) was one I shot about a year ago at Gordon’s Bay on the east side of Sydney, Australia. I guess it’s kind of special to me as it was taken around the time that I had just moved from the northern beaches to my new home on the east side. It was a very hot November day and I had to wait ages for the composition to happen. Mind you, I was lying in the sun so it wasn’t a bad wait at all. In fact, I didn’t even have to sit up to take the shot! I had some success with this image in a photography competition, so the combination of a substantial location move with a good photographic result means that it will always be remembered. But as they say, “You’re only as good as your next shot” and I’m constantly trying to better each one. Mind you, I’ll never be satisfied. Remember, I’m my own harshest critic! haha.

Any parting words for budding photographers?

Shoot, shoot and shoot….and read and look. Learn as much as you can about the craft of photography, soak up everything you can, follow your favourite photographers and try to “reverse engineer” the way their images came about. I think it’s great to try to work out how someone else has done something, and once you do, to then take that knowledge to come up with your take on things. Photography is yours, it’s what you see that what makes the image special. When you shoot for yourself then that’s when your voice or style will be defined. When you shoot for someone else you’ll just become a carbon copy and you won’t be noticed. For sure, be inspired, but putting your spin on things will entail that one day you will be noticed and you’ll be inspiring others.

“Be noticed by keeping your head down, working hard and doing things your way.”

ABOUT DARREN MARTIN:

With a career as an award winning Creative Director behind him, Darren has a wealth of experience in Advertising & Photography. Over the last 2 years his passion for photography has grown and his body of work, whilst immature in time, has been recognised at Australian & International Photography award shows and competitions.

His images have been published in Australian Traveller Magazine, Cumberland Newspapers, as well as various blogs and websites, and have also appeared in advertising campaigns for Fairfax Media and The Australian Red Cross Blood Service.

Specialising in travel, lifestyle & documentary photography, his images portray true slices of life.

darrenmartinphotography.com

darrenmartinphotography.tumblr.com

You can purchase Darren’s images
here: artflakes.com
here: newyorkcitypics.net
and here: fineartamerica.com

About Ingrid Schroder

A Sydneyside corporate graphic designer, photographer & yoga teacher - I find myself turning to nature for guaranteed revival from the crazy pace of city life - be it digging in my garden, capturing natural beauty through a lens, floating in the ocean, practicing yoga or out exploring this incredible planet we all call home. Follow me on twitter @Cohabitaire