Student Perspective: The NYI Interview

NAME: Tony Martin
CITY: Ashville, North Carolina
WEB SITE: http://www.martinartimages.com

Why NYI for Your Training?

Want to be a professional? Want to absolutely know the fundamentals and dynamics of your profession? Want to be absolutely confident you can deliver on a particular job? As far as I'm concerned, you'd better take the NYI Course or you can forget about a career in photography. You'll need every single nuance offered in the curriculum and will refer to it again and again and again!

How was the NYI Course

It was exactly what I needed. I was serious about my work, but I lacked the technical skills to advance myself in the industry. I had the eye for a particular market, but didn't have the knowledge to advance myself in such a competitive and complex environment. NYI was the equivalent of the college level course I didn't have the time or inclination to take.

What was your first paying job in photography?

A product shoot for a California bikini company. I think I made $350.00. It was in natural light on an overcast day in a very scenic area... Nothing has been that easy since! Since then, my sports photos have been published in numerous publications including Longboard, Links, Nicklaus and CREATE Magazine.

Have you won any awards or prizes?

Presidential recognition for images produced in support of 9/11 victims and survivors; County Commissioners' recognition for images produced in support of the Pier and Coastal restoration program; Florida Governors' recognition for coastal and environmental support.

What do you like best about working in photography?

No two days are the same. Light, angles, subjects, demands, challenges. I am constantly being pushed to respond to the elements and conditions in which I find myself. Recently I was on the golf course photographing a celebrity event with actors Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell, jazz legend Branford Marsalis, and Womens' golf phenomenon Annika Sorenstam. The day after that event I was shooting plates of sushi for a restaurant client, and the day after that I was documenting Cherokee Indian pottery for one of my clients, Asheville's Grove Heritage museum. I also recently completed a photography assignment taking pictures of the U.S. Cycle Championships for one of the event's sponsors.

Right now, I'm in the middle of processing photos taken for a client from a weekend private concert by musician/recording artist James Taylor. This is a busy time for me!

If you have a passion for photography and absorb the disciplines covered in the NYI program, you will be successful. Versatility is the key! Apply the guidelines NYI has so effectively and precisely offered and you will be a photographer.

–Sarah Van Arsdale