Published in LFI 01/2012.

[Tinchohs]

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Hi. I spend some time reading around these forums on my RSS Feed. Today I wanted to share that a recent documentary project, Peñarol, was published in LFI 01/2012 – Portfolio Martin Herrera Soler: Discarded.

 

The published portion was mainly shot with an M9 and a 35mm Lux. Some of the images were shot with an M8 and the same 35 lens. It is quite thrilling to see my work in a magazine, there is something about it that feels very different.

 

I wanted to share the good news and thank everyone for how much I learn and find inspiration in these forums. Good 2012 for everyone!

[wda]

Martin, I really enjoyed your feature but felt sad to see continued work in a deteriorating environment. I had wondered what lenses you used, so thank you for that information. I guess all pictures were taken in ambient light.

 

I particularly liked the environmental portraits on pages 64 and 68. Also, I note your love of cats in the workplace! Very telling of the domestic influence on life in Penarol. Again, I guess that the essay resulted from several visits so that you gained the trust of the people. They all look very relaxed influenced, in part, by the diminishing work load and maintenance funds.

 

A beautiful essay; Well done!

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[zlatkob]

Very well done! Congratulations!

[Tinchohs]

Martin, I really enjoyed your feature but felt sad to see continued work in a deteriorating environment. I had wondered what lenses you used, so thank you for that information. I guess all pictures were taken in ambient light.

 

I particularly liked the environmental portraits on pages 64 and 68. Also, I note your love of cats in the workplace! Very telling of the domestic influence on life in Penarol. Again, I guess that the essay resulted from several visits so that you gained the trust of the people. They all look very relaxed influenced, in part, by the diminishing work load and maintenance funds.

 

A beautiful essay; Well done!

 

Thanks a lot! Yes, everything is ambient light, I don't even have a flash, nor am I great with it. I really like the portraits as well, an interestingly, even though the work was the result of several trips over a long period of time to the area, the portraits in particular where taken the first and only time I met them. I of feel though that having a non-intrusive camera has somewhat of an impact in placing the subject at ease. Beyond that I guess it did help that I really connected with the place and felt comfortable myself.

 

There are other portraits, one really close to a guy in the bar that I also really like, but was shot with a Canon 5DmII. This one and some other images from myself and my partner are in here if you want to see them. Thanks for the comments.

[anupmc]

Martin, very nice set of images, congrats. How much post-processing was involved? Was there quite a bit of desaturation involved (or was it my imagination)?

[MarkP]

I read it as soon as I received my January LFI and thought it was an excellent article with most impressive photography.

 

The slight colour desaturation really enhanced the images portrayal of the crumbling environment in which these people live.

 

The use of the 35mm lens certainly confirms it is appropriate for portrait photography by placing the subject in the context of his or her surroundings.

[Raul]

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hello martin. congratulations on your magazine article. i read it and enjoyed it very much. quite inspirational as well for people like me looking to shoot something worthwhile with their Ms.

[viramati]

Interesting and beautiful work

[Tinchohs]

I read it as soon as I received my January LFI and thought it was an excellent article with most impressive photography.

 

The slight colour desaturation really enhanced the images portrayal of the crumbling environment in which these people live.

 

The use of the 35mm lens certainly confirms it is appropriate for portrait photography by placing the subject in the context of his or her surroundings.

 

Thanks Mark. Right as I started this project I got the M9, so it was my first chance to really discover the 35mm lens, since with my M8 it was almost a 50. I loved it. Even though these days I wish I had a 50 for some types of images (i.e. street), if I could only have one lens, it would be for sure the 35. It's a perfect focal length for me, versatile and very appropriate for documenting people and their relationship with space.

 

Thanks for the comment.

[Tinchohs]

Martin, very nice set of images, congrats. How much post-processing was involved? Was there quite a bit of desaturation involved (or was it my imagination)?

 

I did in fact desaturate about .1 to .15 (from 1 which is the original image saturation in Aperture to .9 or .85). I'm not sure I did it because of the particular environment I shot, even though I totally see the point that it does work with the mood of the place. The decision was driven by the post-pocessing style of my partner in the project (you can see all the images in here).

 

After this project I have continued to desaturate as part of my post-processing. I now feel, accurate or not, that colors tend to oversaturate during capture. I've become more aware of what I now perceive as over saturated lifestyle type image processing. Perhaps it's that my reference point shifted, but I tend to agree more with more neutral colors these days.

[Tinchohs]

hello martin. congratulations on your magazine article. i read it and enjoyed it very much. quite inspirational as well for people like me looking to shoot something worthwhile with their Ms.

 

Raul, I get your point. I browsed quickly over your blog, I'll get back to it later. For me, one of the biggest realizations in terms of my photography has been that I can make and enjoy the most my photography close to home. When I started in 2004, creating images was for me very much associated to traveling.

 

It remains true that when I go to another place, images jump at me in a way that does not happen close to home. Yet, the depth and intimacy of the images I can make at home, because I have the time and know the culture in a deeper way, it's a whole different ball game.

 

I'm learning to find project rights where I live, and as I do, I'm starting to enjoy very much doing so. I'll travel from time to time and enjoy it as well, but I can create a space for photography within my daily life at home.

 

Good luck and enjoy the process...

[anupmc]

Martin, simply excellent set of images! Thanks for the link.

[Ivan Muller]

Congratulations Martin, a very fine set of images.....! I have also almost settled on the 35mm lens as my 'standard' although occasionally I wish I had something longer...What I love about one lens is that it makes much of the decision making process easier and simpler, and of course I like the area around a subject that is always included, even if its a close - up, the environment is always there....and that imo is important for documentary type work...

[Robert Seeney]

Congratulations on both the excellent images and for being published - well done!

[albertknappmd]

Bravo! Beautiful work indeed..

Albert

[Tinchohs]

Bravo! Beautiful work indeed..

Albert

 

Thanks so much.