Martin Trailer Productions » Random

The Beginning of the Daily Photo Game

Martin Trailer — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:55:53 +0000

I am a participant of a new photography game. It is based on the old game many of us played as kids, the game of Telephone. Someone starts by whispering in the next person’s ear and so on. Once the whisper gets to the end of the line, the last person says the phase they heard to the group. It is about a single perception from one person to the next.

The Daily Photo Game works the same way, except instead of whispered words, it is visual with photographs. My first image for official game was just posted May 4, 2013. The game will continue for one year. You can follow along by subscribing when you visit the web site, http://DailyPhotoGame.com It should be an interesting journey.

The other nine photographers are in the order of our turn posting;
Eliot Crowley, Blue Fier, Bob Stevens, Martin Trailer, Charley Akers, Jay Ahrend, Robert Nease, Russ Widstrand, Joseph Pobereskin, David Blattel

Below, I have added two images I shot the day I was to post. Serendipity or fate, I was to follow Bob Steven’s image of a bumper sticker that said, “Gas, Grass or Ass, No one rides for free”.

Did I pick right? Comments are appreciated.

The second image here has a story. I went out the day I was to post about 10am to just walk down the street to find my reaction to Bob Steven’s image of a bumper sticker, “Gas, Grass or Ass, No One Rides for Free”. As I got a couple of blocks from home, I noticed many police cars across from the bank at a 7/11 store. I looked around and there was not that much commotion, so I just kept walking several blocks. Got to the ocean shooting along the way and headed back. Once I arrived back to the bank, some TV media people were there and so I investigated more. I observed a couple of young women going to the bank door and then turned around and left. I went up to the doors and started shooting once I saw the signs on the door window and the police officer inside immediately began to remove the notices. Apparently, the robbery had just taken place, just minutes before when I walked by the first time. The robbery per what I was told had taken a Yellow Prius Cab to the 7/11 across from the bank, walked over, robbed them, then went back to the waiting cab. Well, the security guard at the 7/11 was watching, probably because the robber did not go into the store, and stopped him from leaving and called the police. Robber just made it across the street with the dough. No free ride for his weekend.

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Authentic Portraits – Las Vegas, NM

Martin Trailer — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 08:00:11 +0000

Local teen in the town square, Las Vegas, NM

I am including something unexpected, but related into the mix of Authentic Portraits, street portrait photography. The origins of street photography began over century ago, so this is nothing breakthough, just up to date and current. Photographers like Atget, Steichen, Struss, Kertesz, Evans and so many others ( see more ) captured on film what or better how, we visually record and remember the past. Whether it was the fashion, architecture, decor or people just being people in their enviroment, these street photographers were the recorders of our past, our history of the day.

Walking around photographing unfamiliar places, stretches one abilities to “see” interesting places, people and situations, it forces you out of your comfort zone. When walking around the familiar, so much can be taken for granted and not “seen” or noticed as easily.

Fella's hangin on the front porch, Las Vegas, NM

These are just a couple of examples catching authentic people walking around an unfamiliar neighborhood, seeking and looking. By exercising those innate senses we all have , and as a photographer, sharpening that skill of recognizing ” the shot” that makes a photograph have that extra spark of life and value. It will just hit you and you’ll just know you have a great shot. The more you exercise that skill, the faster you’ll recognize it in the view finder the next time. Personal work is a photographers continuing education. Stuff you can’t learn reading a book, looking at what others have done or listening to a lecture. Ya gotta’ feel it, to know it.

Las Vegas, New Mexico is a quaint americana style town with the central square block of the downtown, a park where folks stroll, gather or just hang out. It is just east of Santa Fe, NM off the I-85.

People totally unrehearsed, no casting, no propping, no clients, just people in their element, being absolutely authentic. Capturing authentic is a skill learned by doing, convincing the viewer, real, adding to the value .

Real, relaxed and Authentic.

Martin Trailer, is a commercial/advertising photographer based in Southern California, working for clients worldwide. A working photographer for over 30 years, Martin has regularly provided thoughtfully produced photographs adding value for clients. Starting out in the newspaper business, covering general news, events, sports of all types, often on tight deadlines and honed the skill set of pushing to end up with the nearly intangible authentic final image. Over the years as a photographer, working in advertising, corporate, multimedia and editorial fields, consisting of autos, food, tabletop, fashion, architecture and destinations, all culminating on a focus of people and the authenticity of the person(s). Personal projects include most anything vintage themed and especially vintage trailers and there owners. Authenticity creates added value for the client, person, product or service. All images are registered with the US Copyright office. See more of Martin’s work at http://MartinTrailer.com

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Trailer Deaths

Martin Trailer — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:40:51 +0000

A buddy of mine, Mark Harmel good fellow and terrific photographer and I traveled out to the desert over the weekend a few weeks ago. We went looking for photo opportunities including the desert flower bloom and for me, trailers.

There are vintage trailers all around the Salton Sea area, some are still in use and others are wasting away, slowly in the hot dry desert.

We started exploring at Salton City heading north going then south on the east side.. We stopped in a couple of areas I had visited in 2002. We rediscovered while traveling the back roads finding this wasting gem, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

When I spotted that trailer, I instantly remembered shooting this nearly 7 years ago. In the second shot 2009, note the absence of the trailer in the background and the missing framing. Salvage I would guess.

The area is pretty much the same as I remember from 2002, the yacht club and launch area there was some “wear and tear”, but overall not much change.

It seems that the area was dry when this group of trailer were parked, but at some point flooded. The bottom 12-18 inches of the trailer are corroding away. The surrounding area(s) that continue to be occupied are higher by a foot or so without the damage.

Here is a shot I did of vintage trailer disintegrating into the dirt and here is the very same trailer shown on Wikipedia from 2005 we found at Bombay Beach, on the east side of the Salton Sea, opposite of Salton City. Once the skin is off the frame, disintegration seems reasonably quick considering the lack of moisture.

Must be the salt and they just seem to decompose even in the dry hot climate.

Exploratory shooting, the discovery is the homework photographers do, and hunting down vintage trailer is a blast for me.

Martin
MartinTrailer.com

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Licensing; Does it apply to you?

Martin Trailer — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:02:17 +0000

This maybe slightly harsh, but goes to the heart of paying for creative service efforts, written, illustrative, design or photographic.

Dreams With Sharp Teeth

Martin Trailer
MartinTrailer.com

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New York Point and Shoot at Dusk

Martin Trailer — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 02:30:12 +0000

I did this shot while in New York with a Point and Shoot camera. I met a guy once who asked what was the best P and S camera to buy. I did not understand since at the time I didn’t own a point and shoot.

When I asked him what he ment, he said “Push here Stupid” with a big grin, doooooh…… I get it.

I try to always carry a camera, try is the key word. Shots like this sometimes no matter how long you wait, will not happen at the right time.

This shot is as you see it, no PhotoShop, honest. Sure you could create something like this in a computer which I am writing on, but the fun of photography is the “moment” and making it happen on screen is just not he same since you don’t get to experience the moment of capture.

Maybe it is just me, but as I look at all the images out there, I do have a tendency to pick’em apart. I have pissed off a few when the flaws are pointed out.

I don’t pick the stuff apart to be mean, but where I have come from, photography is the truth at the moment, sometimes with some assistance. When shadows don’t make sense or people are doing things just not possible, I point it out…..

My flaw.

Martin Trailer

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