Who
is Herbie Martin?
Herbie
Martin is an artist more than anything. He is a graduate
of the Savannah College of Art & Design. He’s
a graphic designer, photographer and illustrator. He
has a passion for art, life, and of course, beautiful
women which is why he shoots mostly glamour, swimsuit,
fashion and art.
How
would you describe your photography?
Everything
I do has that Herbie Martin groove. For better or for
worse, my personality is stamped into it. I like to think
my work has some esoteric qualities and philosophies
to it. I just simply call it; Herblish.
When
did you realize that photography was your way of life? I
was involved in a car accident in 1990. I was in such
bad shape that
the only class I could actually attend was Bob Eginton’s
Photography
class. It was him who really gave me the fundamentals and
confidence
to
pursue what it is now a career. A few months later I was
on my way to
SCAD and it was already on path.
Who
have been some of your main influences as an photograher?
As a person?
Uncle
Bob Eginton (those who knew him called him uncle) was
the first
person that took me serious enough for me to consider drawing
with
light
as more than just a way to express myself.
Photographically
speaking, I have been heavily influenced by the works
of
Edward Steichen, Andre Kertesz, Margaret Bourke-White,
Robert Frank and
the incredible Eugene Smith among others. I cannot forget
my visual
heroes
like Picasso, Salvador Dali, Egon Schiele and Gustav
Klimpt.
As
a person, my mother and father have been most responsible
for whom I
am
today. They planted the seed for me to springboard
into
the person I
am
today. They both sacrificed a great deal and showed
me the right way.
What
would you tell someone contemplating pursuing art as
his or her way of life?
I would ask them one
question: Are you in it for the money or the show?
If
you could photograph anyone living or dead, who would
that be?
Living – Anyone
of our soldiers. Dead – Picasso:
He would probably take my camera away.
Do
you choose your subjects or do they choose you?
It
happens both ways – commercially and artistically
Can
Photography be as deadly as a gun?
Deadlier – It
can kill you while you still have life because it catches
your “still”.
What is the biggest misunderstanding about yourself?
People think that I am lazy. I like to think of myself
as very
efficient.
Lazy people
do better in life than those who labor in vain I suppose.
I
see people working harder than they have to all the
time or doing
things
they rather not do.
Life is too
short to do useless things. I have
always
believed that when you give a lazy person a hard
task to do, they will
find an easier way to do it.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Based on the
last 10, I rather not make a forecast. However, I will
be
probably doing much of the same as now but probably
differently in a
very
similar way – that’s herblish!
Over
the years, how has Photography helped you to understand
the" Human
Condition" and meaning of life?
Photography
is more than art form as it transcends from a picture
to an
image. It can change the meaning of a word or an action.
It can
define a
reality or bend it. It is there for the viewer to make
that decision.
Through the
years it has helped me define who I am and what I am
about.
It also helps me cast an emotion from a visual element
that can be as
pure
as truth or as muddled as reality.
What
is it that intrigues you about people on "The
Frinj" ? People
on the FrinJ intrigue me because; there are people who
I believe to be real, to be naked, to be who they are
without being veiled by the appendages society imposes
upon. To me it’s adventures in self-discovery. What's
the difference between a very good photographer and
a great photographer? Good Photographers are
living and great ones are Ether. If
you had to shoot (1) photograph to put in a time
capsule that’s
being send out into the universe to represent planet
earth to any
possible
beings out in the galaxy, what would it be? I
would shoot a mother giving birth.
Herbie
Martin is a StreetLevel.Biz
Global Connect Member 
|
