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December 2, 2008 |
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Created and Maintained by: The Photoimaging Information Council |
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by Luci Hull |
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Imagine living your life as one big adventure. Traveling to distant lands, searching for new experiences, different people, and unique moments for your camera to capture. Taking in the beauty, the awe, and the mystery of life that a foreign land forces you to recognize. Welcome to the life of Hector Martinez, nature and travel photographer. I sat down with this self proclaimed "average Joe" in what turned out to be a 2 hour interview. He told tales of rented llamas, unlikely exotic foods, Cuban cigars, and nose diving airplanes. By the end of our interview, I was completely inspired and ready to pack my bags for my next great journey.  Cuban soldier saying to uncle Sam "we have absolutely no fear of you" © 2008 Hector Martinez
Hector's journey into photography began at the age of thirteen when he started taking pictures of homeless people in New York City. Originally from Puerto Rico, Hector moved to Long Island, NY when he was seven. At the age of twelve, he moved to Queens with his grandparents where he has been living ever since. Hector went on to attend Columbia University, graduating with a major in Fine Arts and a minor in Broadcast Video.  Cuban street handball © 2008 Hector Martinez
After college, Hector worked for NBC shooting stills for the Today Show. His life took a serendipitous turn when he spotted his mentor, photographer Rick Sammon, in a crowd watching a taping of The Today Show. Hector approached Sammon and proceeded to give him a complete history of Sammon's own life and career as a photographer. Sammon was so impressed by Hector's knowledge, that he offered him a job.  Catty eyes © 2008 Hector Martinez
Rick Sammon and many others have helped Hector along the way. When traveling, he is always aware of these people who have made it possible for him to follow his dream, and that is why he is "Willing to stand on a train track and move at the very last second" for the perfect shot. It is this no-fear attitude that has allowed him to travel all over the world. Hector feels that people should know what is going on in other countries and he uses his photography as an educational tool.  A real mans cigar © 2008 Hector Martinez
On his most recent trip to Cuba, Hector got an education of his own. He described Cuba as "one stop that God forgot about". In a country where the average salary is about $250/week, poverty is everywhere. Regardless, Hector says the people are all about love. A typical day for Hector in Cuba includes mingling with the people, scouting locations, 8-10 hours of shooting, uploading images, a few hours of downtime, and an occasional white sand beach and Cuban cigar.  Tell us how you really feel about bush © 2008 Hector Martinez
Hector believes in equal respect when photographing people. He always talks to his subjects before snapping their pictures. He asks their permission and by doing so, the subjects of his photographs are more respectful of him. In Cuba, he came across a man whose face was completely covered with piercings. Crowds of people were standing around staring at the man and stealing photos as the pierced man became increasingly agitated. Hector took a different approach by introducing himself to the man and asking permission to photograph him. The man was so pleasantly shocked that he posed for Hector. This philosophy is why Hector always makes friends wherever he goes.  Can you say ouch © 2008 Hector Martinez
 Boys will be boys © 2008 Hector Martinez
While Hector's passion for photography leads him to exciting new places, the experiences themselves aren't necessarily glamorous. Hector prefers to rough it, for example choosing to camp out and hike to the top of Machu Picchu rather than take a bus up the winding mountain road to the ancient ruins. While this lack of glamour is exhilarating and empowering, there are sometimes unfortunate circumstances that can arise.  Long live the 26 of July, which was the day of the Big Moncada Attack, and also the day M-26 was created and Che Guevara and Fidel Castro met for the first time. © 2008 Hector Martinez
This is why Hector is always prepared. He thinks about every possible worst case scenario in order to be ready to handle the situation if something does go wrong. Which is exactly what happened when his car flipped six times while driving through the Peruvian Andes. Although he was out of commission for a few days, his passion for photography prevailed and he got back on his feet for his quest for the perfect shot. He couldn't imagine coming all this way only to return home with a couple decent shots and a lot of bruises. "I want to know what I can or can't do. If I got this far, how much more can I push myself?"  Woo a terrorist has been set free © 2008 Hector Martinez
I said to Hector, "It doesn't seem like you have any fear", to which he responded, "I'm scared, but I do it anyway". He tells me that he is willing to put his life on the line for the perfect photograph. I ask him, "What is it about photography that makes you willing to die for it?" He responds, "Because I can freeze time at any given moment".  Did you get that plate number © 2008 Hector Martinez
Hector's next quest to 'freeze time' takes him to the freezing cold of Alaska to photograph the Northern Lights in January, 2008. Considering Hector Martinez is a photographer who is constantly pushing himself to go farther and do better, I'm sure he will return from this trip with more great stories and even better photographs.  Some people get that hungry © 2008 Hector Martinez
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