In Search of the Aesthetic Images by Richard Martin |
Photography does not end or begin with the capturing of an image. It is a process that starts long before a photo is taken. It begins with a concept in the mind of the photographer of what he or she wants to reproduce in the frame of the lens. There are perhaps more photographic genres than there are literature themes. From Aerial to Wildlife photography, the possibilities are endless and each photographer brings his or her own unique style to a photo. Professional photographer Richard Martin considers his photography to be a celebration of the visual world. “It originates straight from the heart, honest and direct. Inspired by color, texture and light, I make photographs to express feelings surrounding my experiences, searching for visual equivalents to those feelings.” His camera of choice is the Fuji Film FinePix S5 Pro and more recently the Nikon D300. His lenses are exclusively Tamron. “There are many factors that go into capturing an image,” says Martin. “I have proven over and over that Tamron lenses produce the same quality of image than lenses costing much more.” Martin’s approach to photography is a somewhat literal interpretation of the term. From the Greek photos and graphos, directly translated as “light drawing”, he has made translating images through light his life’s work. “I view line and shape in a highly graphic manner, with a fascination for the dramatic effects of light and shadow on form,” he says. His work is displayed in museums and has appeared on the covers and within the pages of numerous magazines. He is a lecturer as well as a teacher who cautions his students to look beyond the obvious and to break the rules. His photographs are studies in light and how it can transform a scene or object. He is drawn to the work of Frank Gehry, whom he calls “The rock star of architects.” Gehry’s buildings have been referred to as deconstructed aesthetic designs, both awing visitors and attracting criticism among his peers. “I love his buildings because they are like landscapes. I’m drawn to their curvilinear form, graphic shapes and the undulating movement of them.” Martin spent time in Seattle where he shot the image below of the Experience Music Project, a museum of music designed by Gehry and constructed of fabricated steel frame clad with titanium, stainless steel and painted metal. “The balance of the visual elements in this Gehry photo shows how a single contrasting line can balance a large simple shape and achieve equal visual weight. Asymmetry invites the viewer to find the visual rhymes and contrasts that exist across a perceived center of gravity in the picture space. The great contrast of bold elements in asymmetrical balance creates a dynamic visual pattern.” Martin enjoyed the detail of the image which he felt created a Zen-like feeling with the organic (tree) against the manmade structure. “Gehry’s buildings are very organic in form,” says Martin. “What’s interesting to me is the piece of roofing coming down which reminds me of a leaf.” Martin positioned himself across the street for this shot with his Tamron 70-200mm telephoto lens and camera secured onto a tripod. The distance helped to compress the image and capture a two-dimensional graphic shot. “I like the wide 2.8 aperture of this lens,” adds Martin about the newest Tamron telephoto zoom. For the image above, Martin used the aperture priority mode since he felt it was the predominant characteristic needed to capture the scene as he imagined it. It was shot at f/11@ 1/60 sec. The focal length was 150mm with ISO 100. “Focal length is what completely affects the design of the photograph.” Although according to Martin, light plays an important role in his photographs, it is the lens that is ultimately the tool that creates the design. "Choosing a lens is one of the most fundamental creative decisions a photographer can make,” he says. According to Martin, “Telephoto lenses alter the illusion of depth in a scene, compressing or reducing the apparent distance between near and far objects in the picture space.” Another Gehry building is shown in the image below. This free flowing design is the entrance to The Peter B. Lewis Building for Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management. Martin viewed the structure from morning until dusk in order to create this photo.
"To reduce contrast on the highly reflective metal surface, this architectural detail was made at dusk,” says Martin. Again, he used the Tamron 70-200mm lens at a focal length of 200mm with an aperture of f/22 @ 15 sec. “The camera lens is the photographer’s basic design tool, having a powerful effect on the way the subject is presented by altering the shapes, lines, textures and perspective in a photograph. Developing an acute awareness of the lens' ability to distort perspective, alter reality, and isolate subject through focus and depth of field is essential to the process of creating good expressive images.” THE ITALIAN LANDSCAPE In this image below, Martin positioned his camera and lens on a tripod several feet from this Sicilian landscape. He used the Tamron 70-200mm telephoto and shot with a focal length of 200mm. In order to create the most depth of field, he set the aperture at f/22, focusing 1/3 up from the foreground.
“When stopping the lens down to f/22, for example, to achieve maximum depth of field you may focus one-third of the way up the picture space from the bottom (assuming that the subject matter closest to the camera is from the bottom of the frame). This will achieve the maximum range of sharpness for that lens. This method is based on the fact that the zone of sharpness is one-third in front of the point-of-focus and two-thirds behind.” Martin’s images of Venice were all captured using the Tamron 18-250mm lens. The image below was taken shooting downward onto the reflection. The literal image is a boat reflecting on the water, but capturing it with an aperture of f/11, using a focal length of 92mm @ 1/90th sec created an image of swimming color and dynamic geometric movement.
Both images below are studies in color and design, says Martin. Martin is intrigued by shadows and considered them interesting graphic studies of abstracting elements and light balance. The vertical shadow on the green wall was shot at a focal length of 170mm @ 1/60th sec with an aperture of f/13. It is a canopy above a doorway that is casting the angular shadow.
"Much of what I am intrigued by in design is the play of light. It is the most intangible element in Architecture yet it is potentially the most powerful — affecting how we will feel in a space and shaping how we will react to a particular design,” says Martin. The horizontal image shows blue sky next to a dark yellow building. The object is the arm of a lamp casting a long shadow against the corner of the building. Martin found this scene to be an interesting study in color. The horizontal image was shot using a focal length of 130mm @ 1/45th sec with an aperture of f/16. Perhaps the most haunting of Martin’s photos is the image below, which has meaning beyond the single photo.
“The dark and light repetitions make a graphic statement,” says Martin who took the photo angling the camera and lens downward early one morning. The focal length was 185mm with an aperture of f/22 @ 1/180th sec. “The quality of light plays an important role in my image making, with its capacity to transform the commonplace into the poetic and render the real as mystical and surreal,” says Martin. In this image, Martin positioned himself on a bridge above the walkway, shooting into the sun which created strong backlighting and shadows. He was interested in the potential of contrast between light and shadows. “The potential [of a photo] is always created by the light,” he says. “Different light, different subject matter.” While some may believe photography is a simple act of capturing a moment in time, others like photographer Richard Martin see it as a way to understand the elements around us. The shadows we create, scenes from structures that have been created around us, all have some form and function well beyond what is apparent from a simple look. What kind of photography do you engage in? Martin would suggest you experiment with all forms. Let the lens be your brush. Keep your mind open and your eyes sharp and continue to study the art of “light drawing.”
Martin’s dancing daisies were captured using the shutter speed priority mode. He employed the Tamron 18-250mm lens. “Subject motion can create new realities. In this image, the daisies were moving to the right with repeated wind gusts.” To express a feeling of freedom, he chose a ground level camera position in order to eliminate the landscape, and a 24mm wide-angle setting with an aperture of f/22. He steadied his camera using rocks, then waited for the wind gusts.“Manipulating camera shutter speed to extend time, visually transformed the appearance of these daisies from the literal into the poetic. In this case, 1/15th second shutter speed was used to create motion blur.”
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