There is something incredibly powerful about a photograph that doesn’t need to shout to be noticed.
In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Scottish minimalist photographer Martin Annand, better known as 23Martian, to talk about photography, minimalism, long exposure and the pursuit of simplicity.
Martin’s journey into photography is an interesting one. What began relatively late in life has evolved into a distinctive photographic style built around stillness, restraint and an incredible ability to strip an image back to its essential elements. His work often centres around the coast, water and carefully considered compositions, using long exposure photography and subtle colour palettes to create images that feel almost timeless.
That approach has certainly caught the attention of the photographic world. Martin was named Minimalist Photographer of the Year in 2023, while also taking first place in the Long Exposure category that same year. His work has continued to receive international recognition, including a third-place finish in the 2024 Minimalist Photography Awards Long Exposure category.
As someone who has a genuine appreciation for Martin’s work, and who shares a fascination with minimalist and fine art photography, this was a conversation I was particularly looking forward to.
What I enjoyed most was getting beyond the finished photographs and exploring the thinking behind them — the dedication to the craft, the patience required to create minimalist imagery, the relationship with the coast, and that constant pursuit of finding something beautiful in simplicity.
And while Martin’s photography is undoubtedly something to behold, what also came through during our conversation was the person behind the camera. He is incredibly humble, down to earth and clearly someone who simply loves photography and the creative process.
We talk about his beginnings in photography, developing a recognisable style, long exposure techniques, minimalist composition, working with colour, the importance of simplicity and what it takes to continually evolve as a fine art photographer.
For anyone interested in minimalist photography, long exposure photography, fine art landscape photography or simply understanding what goes into creating an image with a strong sense of stillness and atmosphere, I think there is plenty to take away from this conversation.
I hope you enjoy listening to this one as much as I enjoyed having the conversation.
And once you’ve finished, be sure to spend some time exploring Martin’s work. There is a lot to discover, and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
You can find Martins' work using the following links
Website
https://23martian.co.uk/
Instragram
https://www.instagram.com/23martian/
SPONSOR ALERT
NISI FILTERS I’d like to give a shoutout to the incredible team at NiSi Filters Australia.
NiSi offers world-class products like high-quality filters with a minimal color cast, an impressive range of cinema lenses, and various accessories to fuel your creative endeavors.
Nisi Australia actively supports the greater photography community through workshops, educational events, and live-streaming webinars on YouTube and other social media channels.As a special treat, NiSi Australia is offering all Reframe listeners a storewide discount of 5%.
You can even combine this with sale items and other promotions for further discounts by using the code
REFRAMEPODCAST at checkout.
Visit
Thank you and Welcome to Reframe
