We are stoked to welcome Marti Austin as a Unraveled Expert Artist. She’s also a moderator for us here at UA, so her contributions to our team are endless and we are so grateful for that. One thing we love most about her is how welcoming and gentle she is. On her website she has the quote, “We owe it to each other to tell stories” by Neil Gaiman and we believe it to be the perfect fit. It is clear that she in photography for the human connection. That, to us, is EVERYTHING.

Congrats again Marti, welcome home.

FOR MORE INSPIRATION FROM MARTI:

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HERE IS MARTI, UNRAVELED…

What inspires your art?

I love capturing childhood innocence: babies in parents' arms, sleepy kids on their parents' shoulders, even the tears and tantrums toddlerhood brings. Kid's fascination with dirt, bugs, rocks, twirling, and dancing. My own daughter is always my inspiration for photos but often she refuses to cooperate with me, even for bribes (parents of strong willed children raise your hand!) so I have to take those ideas out to my client sessions and bring them to life there.

What do you shoot with?

My body is a Canon 5D Mark III, and I shoot with my Sigma Art 35mm f/1.4 almost all of the time. For freelensing I like to break out my old nifty fifty as well.

What other ways do you express your creativity?

That's a good question! I sew and crochet but I don't think either of those are especially creative. I do consider myself pretty creative when it comes to gift giving. I love searching for or creating the perfect gift for each person in my life, and going crazy overboard with the wrapping. My husband calls me an elf, with good reason.

How do you destress at the end of the day?

I love to wind down just watching TV with my husband. We're big fans of The Office, Parks and Rec, Scrubs and rewatch them on a loop. I also love reading and try to end each day by reading for at least 20-30 minutes or so.

What kind of music do you listen to while editing?

I actually don't listen to music while I edit, I usually listen to movies or TV Shows. Right now Dirty Dancing is playing in the background, and I just finished the holy Nora Ephron Trilogy. The Office is probably my all time favorite show to edit to; I've seen each episode so many times I don't actually need to watch anymore to enjoy it.

What is your favorite book?

Oh gosh, do I need to choose just one? One of my favorites and the one I recommend to everyone is The Book of Lost Things. I love Sci Fi and Historical Fiction, so a few of my favorites are The Green Mile, Childhood's End, Mischling, The Nightengale, and probably a hundred others I'm forgetting.

Name one movie that inspires you?

Not a movie, but I love the lighting and tones from The Handmaid's Tale series.

How do you handle self-doubt or creative slumps? 

Not well. I feel like I've been in a slump for the better part of a year now. I wish I had the magic answer to getting out of a slump, but I just haven't figured it out yet.

What has been the most difficult part of your creative journey?

Overcoming my anxiety. I'm an introvert, so meeting new clients is incredibly stressful. I spend all day worrying, planning, making back up plans, and making mental lists of small talk topics. Then when I show up and take that first photo all of that disappears and I'm able to find my confidence. But all that time leading up to a shoot is brutal.

Who is one of your favorite photographers?

Gosh, I have a complete girl crush on Meg Loeks. I want to be her when I grow up.