EDITORIAL
MEET MARTIN: THE STILL LIFE PHOTOGRAPHER
Before Martin McBride presses the shutter, he has probably already spent a long time looking. At light, shadows, shapes, textures, and details most people walk straight past.
Observation comes naturally to him. It’s part of who he is, both as a photographer and as a person. Martin describes himself as curious, disciplined, and deeply motivated by learning. When something captures his interest, he doesn’t do things halfway.
“If something catches my attention, I often go deep into it,” he says. “I lock in and want to learn everything about it.”
That kind of focus seems to follow him everywhere. Into his work, into his projects, and sometimes into a room so quietly that people only notice him when they suddenly jump.
“Sometimes so quiet that people don’t even realise I’m there,” he laughs.
Let’s talk passion
Martin’s passion is still life photography. His fascination with the genre began while studying at Bilder Nordic School of Photography in Oslo, where he quickly realised he had found something that felt natural.
“I realised pretty fast that this was the genre for me,” he says.
While he experimented with many different styles of photography, still life offered something unique: a balance between creativity and control.
“For me, still life sits somewhere between the realist and the dreamer in me,” he explains. “As a photographer, I’m in control of everything. Light, shadows, colours and composition.”
Every project begins with a blank canvas. From there, he can build an image exactly as he imagines it, combining technical skill with creative expression.
His interest was first sparked through photographers like Edward Weston and Irving Penn, who were introduced during his studies. Since then, still life has remained at the centre of both his professional and personal work. What photography gives him in return is simple.
“Joy,” he says. “I look forward every day to continuing a project or starting a new one.”
That excitement, and the feeling of constantly learning, is what keeps him coming back.
YOUR UNEXPECTED SIDE
For people who know Martin through photography, his long relationship with football often comes as a surprise. He has played since he was five years old.
“It’s the hair,” he jokes. “People often tell me I look more like an artist than an athlete.”
Martin admits he’s a huge nerd who loves diving deep into whatever catches his interest, and football was no exception. As a junior player, he trained with the regional team in Oslo and Akershus and considered taking the sport further before deciding it should remain something fun rather than something serious.
“I decided football should be more about play than pressure,” he says.
Today, he still plays and hopes to continue for as long as his body allows.
“It gives me the same kind of joy photography does,” he says.
SOMEONE WHO INSPIRES HIM
Martin finds inspiration almost everywhere. More than specific people, he’s inspired by passion itself.
“I get incredibly inspired when I listen to people who genuinely care about what they’re talking about,” he says.
Whether it’s photography or something completely unrelated, it’s the enthusiasm and energy that stay with him. Within photography, however, there are a few names he continually returns to. German photographer Hans Hansen is one of them.
“His still life images are technically masterful,” Martin says.
He also finds inspiration in the work of Lorenzo Vitturi, whose sculptural compositions transform everyday objects into something entirely new. Both artists share something Martin loves about still life photography: the ability to make people see ordinary things differently.
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