Around Town Fridays: Jason Martini
By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 15, 2011 6:00PM
"It takes courage to venture lower to street level," says Jason Martini. Martini — "mr._martini" on flickr — contributes beautiful and captivating street photography to the Chicagoist photos Flickr pool that always seem to capture his subjects in the middle of something. Sometimes they seem like posed shots. But Martini, who studied photojournalism in college, has a knack for capturing the moment.
"My shots are kind of an 'instant' thing," Martini said. "Street photography is about spontaneity. I think the best images are the ones that tell a story."
Martini also looks for classic sartorial choices for his photography subjects. "I'm a sucker for fedoras, trenchcoats and scarves. They seem timeless," he told us during a chat for today's gallery. "I look for characters who are dying to be photographed and interesting plays on light." One of Martini's favorite parts of town to take photos is along Jewelers Row.
Martini — a Nikon loyalist — bought his first DSLR, a Nikon D40, three years ago and immediately immersed himself back into photography. His photos take advantage of what natural light is around him. Martini said this goes back to his days shooting film. Martini's confidence as a photographer has grown to the point where he's taken up the craft as a full-time profession focusing on children/family portraits and events, which is a logical transition given his street photography interest.
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