When he was 6, Martin's family decided to turn over a new leaf and move to Brooklyn, New York. Although it was a huge contrast from the simple life before, Brooklyn was just a whole new world to discover and explore. Growing up in Brooklyn, Martin missed the tranquility and simplicity of nature. From the hypnotic calm of a babbling brook to the anxious solitude of a dark forest, nature was captivated, triggering endless emotions. So, in high school and college, he began to hike and camp regularly in the Catskills. Since the trips always felt too short, Martin decided to capture nature on camera to preserve the moment. It was also at this time that he took my first photography course.
With time, Martin started to venture off further to seek nature and culture in distant and remote places. He wanted to see how other people lived. After getting into college Martin spent his first summer backpacking through Europe. In Poland he visited the Tatra Mountains for the first time and discovered his love for climbing and mountaineering. Several trips followed including one to Mont Blanc and others to the Rocky Mountains. After graduating from Law School, Martin went backpacking in Alaska for a month before starting his professional career as a securities lawyer. Then came the trips to South America and Africa. The more time he spent traveling and discovering new places and cultures the more he longed for it. After 8 years of practicing law, Martin decided to pursue his life long passion of travel and capturing the world on camera.
Martin's goal is to show nature and culture from every angle and perspective, from the ground and from the air. Through his images and tours, Martin strives to share his experiences and the feelings that are evoked by the places he visits and the people he meets.
ABOUT STETSON
Photography was always just a way to keep memories in order, until Stetson took his first black and white film class freshman year at The Pennsylvania State University. The class taught him how to look at through his own lens, camera or no camera, and find his aesthetic point of view of the world.
Stetsons love, knowledge and respect for the field grew ten fold that next summer when he joined the television crew of CBS-Survivor in China. Over the next year Stetson worked two more seasons in Africa and Micronesia, absorbing as much information as possible. For his first two seasons Stetson took part in various tasks as a member of the Dreamteam however their main duty was to test the challenges. Immediately, Stetson was drawn to the camera department and started filling in for camera assistants who were injured or sick. During his last season Stetson earned the title of nighttime segment producer, responsible for interviewing and filming contestants during the nighttime hours. Working on a large production such as Survivor with talented and experienced crew-members taught Stetson more than he could have ever imagined.
Time in-between and after the show was spent traveling and attending school both at Penn State and The University of Vermont. Travel has always been Stetsons number one mission as a young adult and since the age of fourteen he has been taking independent trips all around the world. His most recent travel was happily spent riding a bicycle from San Francisco to New York in order to raise money for SHCC (shcccambodia.org), a children's school located in Krobe Riel, Cambodia. After volunteering there last fall, Stetson fell in love with the people of this small and impoverished community. Touched by what he experienced in Cambodia and his quest to travel the world, Stetson teamed up with long time friend and travel partner Chris Moran and devised a plan that would fit everyones needs. So came to birth, Cruisin' For A Cause!! Chris and Stetson peddled 4,120 miles across the United States raising money and spreading the word about SHCC and the people of Cambodia. After the trip, they continue to raise money for the school with hopes to reach their goal of $5,000 this fall. You can visit their website at cruisinforacause.net.
ART GALLERY
The Martin Stankiewicz Gallery is located at 142 King Street in Chappaqua, New York. Many of the images captured by Martin and Stetson are here permanently on display and available for purchase. The gallery also exhibits work by visiting artists who share a connection with nature and promote environmental awareness. Additional information can be found on the Gallery's website www.stankiewiczgallery.com.
