Russ Martin

I was born in 1949, in the upstate New York village of Clinton, the son of a part time professional photographer. In high school, I developed an interest in photography and photographed everything. However, I went to college to study chemistry having a strong interest in science all my life. Once there, and running into some difficulty, I changed my major to art to be able to take photography courses. My parents were not in favor of this, but I was determined to do what I was going to do. I completed my major in art and took every photo course available. At this time, I decided that I wanted to pursue teaching on the college level. This required an MFA degree, so I went to the State Univ. of NY at New Paltz and earned that in 1974. Subsequently, I taught fine art photography part time in colleges for seven years and at the same time exhibited my work in New York. Then, in 1980, my gallery was forced out of business by escallating rent, and I was forced to look for other work. It was at this time that I began teaching photography in high schools. I did that for twenty five years, retiring in 2008.  During my teaching years in high schools, I exhibited little. Then, nearing retirement in 2006, I entered B&W magazine's first portfolio contest and won a Spotlight feature. This was the catalyst for putting forth a new burst of creative energy. Fortunately, I have been rewarded for my efforts. I have won many awards in international competitions, been featured in four prestigious international print publications, and featured in online magagazines and blogs. My work is represented by Contemporary Works, one of the premier dealers of fine art photography.  www.ContemporaryWorks.com