I have been taking pictures seriously since I was in high school. I studied photography as an art when few thought it was an one. I received my MFA in the subject from SUNY New Paltz in 1974. I have taught it part time at five colleges and full time in three high schools. I have a split personality when it comes to subjects that I like. I do traditional black and white images of landscapes and many other subjects. I also do compositions of walls with color. Additionally, I do noncamera work. I like anything that shows creativity and new ways of seeing.

Recently, I was Spotlighted in B&W magazine. B&W is possibly the premier magazine for black and white photography. It goes to 35,000 subscribers in 50 countries. The Spotlight was the result of a comptetition that the magazine held to obtain content for the coming year. In all they received over 900 portfolios, from which they selected 30 for publication. I entered my flowing water portfolio. The first 12 pictures in that set were my entry. From those, they published four and a one page article about me. You may view my the article by going to our website: www.RussAndMarciaMartin.com

Also recently, one of my wall pictures was selected by Sarah Goodnough,Curator of Photographs at the National Gallery of Art, for selection in The Center Awards, International Exhibition of Photography in Carmel, CA. It was on display in the fall of 2006. This spring, one of my foliage pictures, "Hosta Leaves and Flower" was a finalist in the Natural World category of Smithsonian Magazine's "Through Our Reader's Eyes" contest. If you go to their site and click on the Grand Prize winner, you will be led to a link to see all finalists. I continually enter contests and send work to publications.

Though a classically trained photographer, I have now embraced the new digital technology. I am using digital cameras exclusively and process my images with Photoshop and print through an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer utilizing archival pigment inks. I mat all my photographs to museum standards. If you want to purchase one, contact me.