We recently had the chance to connect with Tom Martin and have shared our conversation below.
Tom , we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Nature. Being out and about, regardless if it’s on a trail I’m familiar with, or exploring someplace new. Being out in nature is both exciting and humbling, and extremely centering for me. Definitely the best way to loose myself and in that to find myself again!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’ve been a photography nut since first picked up a camera as a kid! My name is tom Martin, and I run Tom Martin Photography. I got my start taking photos for my high-school yearbook, and that’s really where my passion took off from. For me it was always an escape and a huge passion/hobby. I finally made the jump to doing it professionally after putting off suggestions that I should from friends, family etc. I’m so glad I did.
My passion is telling the story through photography. My goal is that years later, looking at the photos they evoke the memories of the day, the event, etc. I want my photos to be little visual gateways into the memories that my clients cherish. That’s really where my passion is with capturing weddings/events for people.
The best part is that my story unfolds with being able to be a small part of others peoples stories. That’s the win -win for me.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My Grandfather, for sure. He always had something that he was working on, reading, tinkering with or learning about. And not simply to be busy or aimless distraction. He always had purpose and intention behind whatever his hobbies were. I really admired his focus to constantly learn and explore new things. I try to follow that example, and look to new things, new processes, to keep learning and growing without loosing sight of the things I know work for me. I think that’s the real challenge, knowing what to hold onto, and what things to explore and develop to improve. With that mindset, there’s always work to do, and always things to be done!
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes. My very first professional photo-shoot was a disaster. I didn’t prepare very well, didn’t ask the right questions of the client, had the opinion and attitude that I could take any photo anyone wanted, and it was terrible. It was family photos, and it turned out to be too many people in too small of a space, and it was a real challenge. some photos turned out ok, and a lot didn’t. The clients weren’t thrilled, I was devastated, and ended up refunding the fee. My very first professional shoot and I ended up with no money.
Ironically, it was that client who also spurred me to keep going. He asked if it was my first pro-job, and I admitted that it was. Inwardly I was wondering if it would also be my last. He surprised me by saying that the photos he had seen online, yelp, website etc were good, and that he thought I should keep going despite this one not being the best. Getting a small bit of encouragement from a dissatisfied client really lit a fire within me to pursue the next pro-shoot, and the next one, and the next one.
That first rocky start, turned out to be a huge blessing and a great start to my career!
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
Wow, great question. Time, accessibility, and function. There’s always new technology breakthroughs and new products etc etc and a lot of them are really great, or a huge improvement. The real difference between a fad and a fundamental shift is accessibility. Specifically within photography, for example. People thought that digital photography was a fad, that it would never take over from film. At first, digital wasn’t any better of a photo, and was prohibitively expensive. With time, it became more accessible, and less of a price hurdle. eventually the function of not having to lug around film, the quality of the photos etc made it the fundamental shift that it was.
The keys to a fundamental shift in any aspect or industry is there has to be an improvement, that improvement has to be affordable, functional, and accessible. if a new thing doesn’t have those, it might only be part-time popular.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope the story people tell about me when I’m gone is a simple one. Just that they have fond memories, and that I was able to give some smiles, laughs, and good memories. Anything else is fluff. The good stuff is good campfire stories, good laughs, those stories around the dinner table at family gatherings that all start with, “do you remember that one time…..” I hope the story that people tell about me when I’m gone are stories of little moments like that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://twmartinphotog.wixsite.com/my-site
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tom-martin-photography-baltimore
