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Name: Sven MartinHome Town: From Cape Town, South Africa
Home Base: Varies according to seasons and schedules.
Fall and Spring at home in Bend Oregon, Summers in the mountains all over the world and winters, we try to turn those into Southern Hemi summers. For a few months at least in South Africa, we are pretty mobile in a plane all year or in our Europe based camper van.
Home Page: www.svenmartinphotography.com
Sponsors/employer: F-stop. Lucky to still have wonderful and generous support from some of my clients and friends in the MTB industry. They keep me rolling on the best bike stuff.
Photo employers: Freelance and team/company photographer for many of the leading MTB companies.
Sports Photographed: I shoot all types of cycling, the major portion of it is mountain biking though and a large portion of that is gravity and big trail/mountain orientated. Skateboarding, surf and snow shooting squeezed in when there is time or conditions are right.
Favorite subject: Is this the hardest question to ask a photographer? Variety is what i like, so it's hard to pick favorites. I like the unstaged reality found in race imagery of the sports greatest riders. Recently: How about Steve Peat winning Worlds in 2009.
Recent Projects: 2009 - Shot the entire UCI World Cup season including other major events like World Champs, Sea Otter, Crankworx, US Open, Megavalanche, Mt. of Hell, Cape Epic, Cape Argus
Recent Projects: 2009 - Shot the entire UCI World Cup season including other major events like World Champs, Sea Otter, Crankworx, US Open, Megavalanche, Mt. of Hell, Cape Epic, Cape Argus
-Team Photographer for Atherton Racing in 2009 and GT/Mongoose MTB teams.
-Syndicated editorial and commercial MTB shoot for Adidas in Africa.
-Working on a high end coffee table book with a heavy theme in MTB racing with Gary Perkin... coming soon.
Do you remember when you realized photography was more than a point and shoot camera?
When I started I don't think there were too many point and shoot camera's around. My dad was a professional photographer on the side, so my first experience with a camera was with all his big heavy proper manual high end Canon gear. I must have been 10 or eleven when I told him I wanted my own body.
What was your first camera? And what is your current.
First was a Canon A1. My dads, then he got me my own AE1 Program. Now I have 1dMK3, 5DMK2 and a G10. And then a long list of lenses flashes and the rest.
What has photography done to your life?
Turned it upside down. It may sound glamorous, but the constant travel has its drawbacks after a while. But thankfully it has kept me connected to a sport I love and allowed me to enjoy three things I love. Immersion in nature, freedom and traveling with my wife Anka to new destinations.
As a career photography has let you see much of the world. Where are the places you wish to return or are most memorable?
I prefer going to new places, locations and countries each year, I like to keep the shooting and inspiration fresh and challenging. Sometimes you are not so lucky, having to repeatedly visit a played out venue or area. But between jobs we often explore new places or revisit old favorites. I love returning to South Africa each year and shot some epic full on African MTB bike safari stuff in the real wild bush this year. We got to explore both east and west coasts of Australia before and after worlds and riding and shooting in real big mountains high in the Alps each summer is always a priority. I worked in 13 countries and counting so far in 2009.
Being an action sport photographer, one would generally assume you also play the games you shoot. What are favorite sports to do with out a camera bag on your back?
I like to trail ride and downhill whenever I can squeeze it in. Often impossible on back to back weekends. I still like to push my self to the limit in the odd race too. Be it in DH or Mega style Enduro DH. Then surfing and skateboarding when times and locations and travel logistics allow. Being on the road for long periods with all your camera gear, multiple bikes, surfboards wetsuits and skateboards is a logistical and excess baggage nightmare. I have skate and surf boards, wetsuits and riding and camera gear (helmets, shoes, tripods, etc) stashed on 3 different continents. Half the time i still have a pack on the back with a point and shoot, you never know when that shot will present itself. Who or what do you look too find inspiration in?
I have always been influenced by the near perfect yet loose approach to the work of the top skate and surf photographers. Especially in their travel features. As a partaker in all the sports I shoot I try bring the viewer into the whole story either in a feature or sometimes hopefully in a single shot. The riders themselves will inspire me and the landscapes and light compels me, the subject in the shot ends up being trivial detail sometimes.
Life behind a lens means being witness to the best of times and the worst. Please let us know an experience from each.
Best: Being nearby or present when new bench marks and personal accomplishments have been set in the various disciplines I shoot. Steve Peats long time coming World Champs win a few weeks ago in Australia is the perfect example of this. I got to spend some quite personal time with him right after his win before he went on to celebrate. It's tricky mixing personal relationships with work. As long time hero and idol but now close friend it was awesome to have him share his emotions with me on his historic win. The tricky bit is using the opportunity to shoot some spontaneous unique personal photos without abusing the friendship relationship. Over the years a few photographers slowly earn their rights to such open and personal access to the top pros and it is a huge responsibility when they bestow you with such trust.
Worst: Being present when world champ Rachel Atherton got hit by a car and badly injured in a training accident. Whenever an athlete gets hurt around me shooting it sucks, but it is all part of the risk they face in being the best in the world in these various sports I shoot.
What would you say to a young shooter with who dreams of traveling the world taking photos of the elite athletes in our sports?
1. Never give you photos away for free or cheap. Ever. That includes web! That won't help you pay for your next air-ticket, memory card, lunch, hotel or gas, never-mind your camera.
2. Develop your talent within your local scene., magazines are hungry for that type of stuff, don't be afriad to submit to them. I remember Grant Britton (ex Transworld Skateboarding photo editor writing personal notes back to me on what he liked and what I should try when I submitted photos to them when it was all still a hobby for me)
When you have experimented and start getting results at your local races and nationals and hopefully had a magazine show some interest in your work, then pick your nearest world cup. It's not easy and there are dozens of full time professional photographers already there, all trying to take a slice of a very small pie. But if you do it for the love of the sport and photography and not for the money and your eye and approach is unique and different, it may just work out for you. Don't be afraid to be different.
Tell us one over looked lesson you have learned in the photo business:
Back up, back up, back up. Its happened to me and I'm sure even though I'm warning you now it will happen to you at some stage too. Two separate places of backed up information is minimal.
Keep a big grenade blower handy. Changing lenses on the side of tracks is a sensor dust magnet. Try to fly with all your essential in your hand luggage, because your main baggage will get lost or delayed, and it will happen a lot.
Sven recommends you read
Quotes Sven has enjoyed over the years
"Shoot shit, edit shit!" Gary Perkin by way of MTB photo god Malcolm Fearon.
After breaking my neck: "Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift."
Sven adds
Thanks to all the great riders out there that push themselves and the sport in new directions everyday. We as photographers are blessed to doucument our sports metamorphosis for posterity sake. And thanks to all the other photographer and filmer friends on the hill that help pass the time in the dreary wet dark cold mountainous race conditions. You know who you are, see you all next year! And F-Stop for saving my back and having the perfect pack no matter what the job!
