Martin Matlack is a New Mexico native with a life-long passion for photography and railroads. Martin’s formal education is in Biology; his career path has taken many turns. He now finds himself doing what he started as a teen.
He has had a camera in his hands for almost 60 years. He shoots with medium-format (6x6 and 6x7 cm) film which he processes himself. The image is then scanned and converted to a digital image file which he then manipulates in a digital “lab” that gives him control of the end result to a degree that was not possible in the early “wet-labs.” He produces the final image with a wide-format professional printer on specially selected photo paper. He also mats the images himself.
Martin’s images have been used by Amtrak, New Mexico Rail Runner Express, and various other publications. Pieces of his work can be seen in Bernalillo, NM, at Home at the Range Gallery. He shows in Santa Fe, NM, with the Santa Fe Artists Market and serves on the board of the Route 66 Arts Alliance in Edgewood, NM. His work has been the recipient of three world-level awards.
Artist Statement
I am a self-taught photographer; my only formal training was a course in photojournalism. My father was an accomplished amateur photographer and a chemist - I remember developing color slides in our kitchen as a young boy. I delight in capturing people in their normal everyday element – today’s term is “Street Photography.” My photographs reflect the way I see my world. Every photograph I take has a story – I invite you to step into them to see what I see. I like to say that I enjoy “shooting” people – with a camera! Every image is a snapshot in time.
I believe you have to train yourself to see in black and white. I believe that this medium has an emotion not found in color photography. The subtle variations in light and shadow impart magic and mystery to the image – to me, they enable a storytelling aspect that is greatly diminished in a color image.
