Welcome to our new web site!

To give our readers a chance to experience all that our new website has to offer, we have made all content freely avaiable, through October 1, 2018.

During this time, print and digital subscribers will not need to log in to view our stories or e-editions.

STEVEN MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHY

Steve Martin digitizes the subtle tones of history

Posted

Steven Martin fell in love with photography when he was 13 and has been actively focused on it since.

“I always hope for better results than I’ve ever gotten,” he said. But his results tend to be stunning and technically well crafted – clearly the work of a perfectionist.

A purist, when digital photography came out, Martin was hesitant to use it. He struggled with the question of whether digital is really photography or more of a computerized artform. Then he took a workshop that clarified the issue.

“I finally made the decision to go digital,” he said. “It took a long time to understand the technical aspects, which I still don’t understand all of them. Basically, I shoot in raw format. Raw format catches information. Once I realized that the raw digital file is comparable to a digital negative and therefore needs to be processed to bring out the image, I felt more comfortable with it.”

Still subscribing to the styles of Ansel Adams and others who came on the scene in the 1930s and ‘40s, Martin looks for the straight image and hones it.

“Today you see a lot of wonderful images where people merge photos,” he said. “They stack photos, they do all kind of things to try to get an image comparable to what the human eye can see. I don’t do that. I go out trying to capture images as I see them as best I can.”

Martin makes assignments for himself designed to help improve his skill – which resulted in the images for his current show at the Rokoko Gallery in Mesilla.

“Several years ago, I saw all these wonderful photographs from other photographers,” he said. “They were churches – old historic churches – some dilapidated, some redone. So, I thought, why not. I kind of gave myself this assignment to get off the beaten path and go to all these little towns, villages, hamlets. I love the architecture.”

Exploring the backroads of New Mexico, Martin sought out churches both famous and neglected.

“I try to develop them in an old-school format. I’m trying to create a feel for the place so people can look at these things in a different light – kind of transport people back in time.”

Martin prefers his images in black-and-white. Inspired by photographer Edward Curtis, he plays with tones, shadows and color tints.

During a career in law enforcement with the Bureau of Land Management, Martin worked to preserve the landscape and the past. Now he does it with his camera.

“Hopefully I create beautiful compelling images of what’s out there in the world. And there is that component of remembering that this is part of our past. I’m one of those people who believes that you can’t get to the future unless you understand where you have been. I want people to look at this landscape and see that natural resources are valuable, worth protecting.”

Elva K. Österreich may be reached at elva@lascrucesbulletin.com.

Steven, Martin, Photography, History, Churches, New Mexico

X