Photographer of the Week: Atyia Martin

Breakdancer by Atyia Martin
Dancer at the Mighty 4 Boston breakdancing competition at the old Villa Victoria church in the South End.

By Atyia Martin
Boston

I have been interested in photography my entire life. I always thought that capturing a fleeting moment in time was one of the most beautiful endeavors. Unfortunately, I could not afford to seriously pursue that endeavor until digital photography. Two years ago, I purchased my first real camera, a Nikon D200, and I have not looked back.

Frozen Branches by Atyia Martin

I enjoy capturing the urban life of Boston and the overlooked beauty it contains. It is my landscape, especially inner city Boston: Dorchester, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Roxbury, and South End. There is an untapped, overlooked beauty hiding in plain sight. I enjoy utilizing the story-telling abilities of the lens to share my perspective with others.

I use the 50mm, 18-70mm, and 70-300mm Nikkor lenses. I love the crispness of the 50mm lens and use it mostly for portraiture. The flexibility of the 18-70mm lens has made it my weapon of choice.

I am a self-taught photographer (much of my work is viewable on my website, Still Boston). I spent many nights and weekends reading about various techniques and then I took to the streets to experiment.

I was thrown into the fire when my husband asked me to photograph a show he was videotaping; the rest is history in the making. My husband is a videographer with an extensive library of work that consists primarily of Boston's hip-hop talent: www.nefam.com ("The New England Family") and Spotlight-DVD. His dedication and diligence in all endeavors is quite inspiring.

As a compliment to my photography, I have completed a number of graphic design projects such as album cover art, DVD covers and inserts, and CD/DVD image printing. I absolutely adore Photoshop and use it regularly for special projects.

I am in the process of updating my website and will be doing so regularly, so check back often. I was on hiatus after my daughter, Sonja, was born. However, now I am reuniting with my long lost love, and this amateur photography site, RAW, is a great way for me to launch my re-emergence. I am so pleased to share my adventures with all of you and I hope you enjoy the experience.

Foundation Movement by Atyia Martin

Optimus of the duo Foundation Movement at the 5th Element Fashion and Hip Hop Show at Harper's Ferry in Allston.

Just Us by Atyia Martin

Member of the dancing duo Just Us performing at the 2007 Wake Up the Earth Festival in Jamaica Plain.

Breakdancer 2 by Atyia Martin

Dancer at the Mighty 4 Boston breakdancing competition at the old Villa Victoria church in the South End.

Backstage by Atyia Martin

The stylist and organizer of the 5th Element Fashion and Hip Hop Show revel in the success of the show backstage at Harper's Ferry in Allston.

Grizzly Squad portrait by Atyia Martin

A member of the hip-hop group Grizzly Squad poses in front of a mural in Roxbury.

Franklin Hill demolition by Atyia Martin

Partial demolition of the Franklin Hill housing development in Dorchester, off Blue Hill Ave. near Franklin Field. This photo shows the American Legion Highway side.

Gorillas at the Franklin Park Zoo by Atyia Martin

Fallen by Atyia Martin

Display of a fallen soldier's boots at the 2007 Wake Up the Earth Festival in Jamaica Plain.

Ed. Note: In October 2005, Atyia was honorably discharged from the United States Air Force. During her service, she was a Serbian/Croatian Linguist and Analyst. Since her enlistment ended, she has been in the Intelligence/Homeland Security field. Her husband, Roy, works in the Human Services field. If her job and her photography didn't keep her busy enough, Atyia has five children: Sharoya, 18; Roy Jr., 15; Raekwon, 11; Ryan, 4, and Sonja, 6 months. She says they have dual citizenship in the City of Boston: Hyde Park and Dorchester. See all Photographers of the Week