I’m a photographer and writer specialising in Travel, Wildlife and Nature. I have a particular love of rain forests and my aim is to use my images to highlight both conservation issues and genuine eco tourism projects through out the world. I have been working in partnership with The Orangutan Foundation over the last 3 years to photograph a variety of wildlife in the Tanjung Puting national park, Borneo. This area is a real conservation success story and home to an important population of over 4000 orangutans. I also run several orangutan photography holidays each year with the profits donated to the Orangutan Foundation to help them continue their work.
A natural history career begun on the film unit of the Royal Society for the Protection of birds, changed direction to 16 successful years in marketing, product development and planning with Electrolux Limited, including 10 years in charge of head office contracts and commercial machinery… But the strong pull of conservation—always running parallel throughout the years in industry—brought about a return to the original career direction and life as a full-time writer, artist, photographer, lecturer and broadcaster—specialising in the countryside, conservation and environment consultancy:
My photography has always been driven by a deep passion for every aspect of the natural world. I think the obsession began at around age 5 where I grew up in the Welsh valleys - starting with birds, then followed insects and later wildflowers (orchids in particular).
Although I read theoretical physics at Balliol College Oxford and then at London University (all the result of a deep fascination with pattern) the passion of my childhood inexorably drew me back. It took a decade and more of teaching (including three years in Cyprus,) working at writing in what spare time I could steal and for years, lightboxes laden with shots of poppy fields kept me going when administrative trivia got me down.
I took the plunge and became a full-time freelance writer and photographer in 1986, three years after the first book, Wild Orchids Of Britain & Europe was published: there were lots of ups and downs…
Mark is a graduate of the University College for the Creative Arts in Kent and worked as an assistant with some of the world’s best advertising, fashion, corporate and editorial photographers before establishing his own central London studio. He shoots a very broad range of work for an extensive a varied clientele, both in his studio and on location worldwide. During his career he has gained many awards including British Design and Art Direction (D&AD), The Magazine Publishers Awards, The Ilford Awards and The Mead Annual Report Show, New York (best of show).
‘I got my first camera at the age of four and I can still recall the moment. I was at the seaside with my Mother and we had no bucket & spade, so went to the beach shop to buy one. Whilst waiting in the queue, a little Kodak camera caught my eye and when we got to the counter I asked if I could have that instead. I’ve still got it.
Martin Hartley specialises in documenting the most inaccessible parts of the planet. His sustained commitment to capture the beauty of unadulterated landscapes and remote communities has taken him to some of the most isolated and challenging locations in the world.
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