Story 131: Marjolein Martinot
What is your backstory?
I am Dutch and was born in Leiden, in the Netherlands. I moved to France in my early twenties, married and susequently became a mom of six children. I have always been drawn to photography from an early age on. My father was a competent amateur photographer, and in part thanks to him I became interested in photography. I still remember my first camera, which was an Agfamatic Pocket that I got for my 10th birthday. When I was about 18, I bought my first 35 mm SLR, and I have continued learning, using and exploring the medium since. I was always the prime picture-taker in our family - mostly family snaps - but it was only after my 5th child was born that I became more seriously interested in expanding my technical knowledge and, more specifically, photography as an art form. I then decided to enroll in a local photography class, and subsequently attended workshops, notably Atelier Smedsby, a 1-year photography workshop with JH Engstrom and Margot Wallard, and (more recently) a workshop in the Indre region of France with Vanessa Winship, George Georgiou, and Israel Ariño. Both great and very enriching experiences.
What camera gear/editing setup do you use?
Most of my photos are taken with a Mamiya 7II & Mamiya C330, a Rolleiflex, a Nikon F6, and a Leica M6. I love the soft rendering results of the Rolleiflex - it really has a quite unique creamy overall feel. Of late, I much like using the Mamiya7II for portraiture as it’s light & manouvrable, and quite easy to manipulate. Usually I like to hand-hold the camera, but I also use a tripod in case of low light situations.
How do you achieve the look of your photographs and could you take us through the process?
I’m quite sensitive to moods, with a tendency towards occasional melancholy. My photography touches on the poetic, while I strive to remain authentic and true at the same time. I aim to evoke sentiments by using and mixing different photographic approaches (portraits and life’s moments) in both color and monochrome, and I use different (analogue) cameras.
I love taking portraits. When taking a portrait, the exchange/interaction with someone (often a stranger) is so intimate and special - hard to describe really. That tiny instance of someone’s personality coming through - managing to capture that, is truly an amazing experience. Those moments are always swift and evanish almost instantly though. Being a naturally shy person, these one-on-one encounters give me a real boost, a particular energy and a sense of confidence that I very much enjoy.
My preferred go-to films are Ilford HP5 for B&W, and Kodak Portra400 for color. After scanning the films, I usually (very slightly) post-process the photos afterwards, using Lightroom and/or Photoshop. I have to admit that I still have very limited darkroom skills, and unfortunately lack the time at this moment to improve those. However, I do believe that printing is an altogether different profession, and I really admire photographers who manage to produce beautiful prints themselves. I am very fortunate to have found an extraordinary craftsman and printer in the vicinity of Paris (Diamantino Quintas), who prints my photos for me.
He truly does an amazing job!
Could you tell us the backstory of some of your photographs?
Most of the photos featured here are from my personal longterm photo-projects. I used to photograph mostly in and around my home, in St. Germain-en-Laye, in France. However, over the last few years I’ve started focussing on a much wider range of subjects, topics and places, although I always need to personally relate to whom and what I photograph...
Of Fall and Fireflies, is a personal narrative and an introspective body of work, which I worked on for many years (2010 - 2020). It evokes my reflections, visions and emotions as a mother of six children, while traversing a somewhat somber phase in my life. Its focus is on seeking sparks of luminosity in my everyday world.
La Classe de Josephine, is a project (40+ photos) which I worked on in 2021, during the intense Covid lockdown period in France. It took about 5 months to complete. The idea came to me to create a visual record of my daughter’s 5th grade class, in the form of a portrait-project of this sensitive and intriguing age (on the cusp of adolescence). To give a ‘visage’ so to speak, to this transitional and intense year (the year before starting middle school). The children barely saw one another during this year - knew each others’ faces - since everyone was wearing masks. Even the annual school photo featured everyone with masks on. I visited and photographed each child at their home, in order to try creating an environment that was as relaxed as possible to work in. I photographed the children outside, whenever it was possible, and they took off their masks at the last minute (I kept mine on at all times). The ultimate focus is on the children - their personality and sense of self, with perhaps a glimpse of the future young adults that they’re on the verge of becoming.
Riverland, is a photo-series that I started about 2 years ago, while attending a workshop with Vanessa Winship and George Georgiou in the Indre region in France. It's a series (80+ photos) depicting various scenes - portraits, stills and landscapes - all taken in and around rivers/waters in the Indre region, and in southern France. With the series, I attempt to portray the way a meandering river compares to the always unexpected and unknown course life takes, and flows...
What advice do you have for aspiring photographers?
That’s kind of hard to answer, as I feel that I am still learning so many new things every time I photograph. One piece of advice that I got from JH Engstrom and which I still apply, is to photograph a lot, and I mean a lot (even if only on your phone) - and every day! By doing that I notice that I often look at things in various compositions and possible light situations and I feel that I am more tuned in to whatever is happening around me. Listening to your own inner voice and gut feeling is something important too. Try finding the best possible conditions and personal tools to deliver the ultimate possible quality for you. For some it might be a personal drive or sense of urgency, a strong conviction or a thought-out concept for example. For others it might be just a stress-free period. For me, it’s often a state of mind, and a complete disconnect from daily chores. It’s funny that when I’m in ‘the’ moment taking photos and I have a good gut feeling about it, the photos often end up turning out well. When I take photos, without having a good feeling, I usually stop as it ends up being a waste of time (and money!), as shooting film, just for the sake of shooting, can be quite expensive. If that’s the case, I usually stop and reflect about what it exactly is that I am doing, and I continue searching for inspirational takes with my phone for a bit, for example.
