Photographer Mark Martelly (left) with Christian Mansana at Photo Caraibes SXM in Marigot. (Robert Luckock photo)
MARIGOT--Professional photographer Mark Martelly is currently presenting an exhibition of some of his amazing landscape photos at Photo Caraïbes SXM, Marigot, until May 1, 2022.
Martelly, a graphic designer for The Daily Herald, came to St. Maarten from his native Guyana in 2000. He chose images from his collection for the display in collaboration with Photo Caraïbes owner Christian Mansana. The images for the exhibition were shot on the French side between 2020 and 2022.
“The French side tends to lend itself better for landscape photography, seascapes, sunrises and sunsets, with so many great locations and beautiful coastline,” Martelly explains. “From Cupecoy down to Lowlands, Long Bay, Marigot, and up to Friar’s Bay and Happy Bay there’s a lot of scope for sunset photography.”
Martelly has been a professional photographer for the past six to 10 years, but has been taking photos in the field since 2006. This is his first exhibition in St. Martin. The photos were taken using a tripod; only one was a hand-held shot: a black-and-white image of an elephant ear in Pic Paradis.
“At art school I did photography classes and workshops, and in the army in Guyana I had the opportunity to participate in a photo and graphics internship for six months,” he said. “There’s a beauty in taking portraits with humans, but I love landscapes, it’s my passion. It allows you to capture so much of what we take for granted. I try to bring out the normal in an extraordinary way.”
Capturing the perfect shot has not always been easy, and was sometimes preceded by bad luck or an unexpected element of danger. Take, for example, his image of the underneath of the old pier in Grand Case.
Taken around midnight, subtle strobe lighting effects bathed the image in a golden light. But after unhooking one of the light fixtures, he almost got knocked out when a heavy piece of concrete fell from the roof onto his head, causing bleeding. “Blood, sweat, but no tears,” he joked about the experience.
On another occasion, preparing to take a sunset shot he dropped his camera and broke a lens. Sometime later, having purchased a new lens, he returned to the same location to take the shot again. It turned out to be one of the best images of the exhibition. “I think I was really rewarded for the loss of that lens,” he smiled ruefully.
Martelly is the 13th photographer to have an exhibition at Photo Caraïbes SXM. Mansana explained he invites professional or amateur photographers to exhibit every month and a half, depending on the subject. He will shortly be inviting photographers to display images by country; for example, Cuba, New York, etc.
Martelly’s images are on sale for 149 euros, including frame. They can also be autographed.
Photo Caraïbes is located at 115 Les Amandiers, Marigot (entrance also from the alley leading to the waterfront), tel. (0590) 87.32.98. Opening hours are 8:30am to 12:30pm and 2:30-5:30pm Monday to Friday; Saturday 8:30am to 12:30pm.
