Martin Szabó is a commercial, advertising and portrait photographer based out of Calgary, Alberta and Vancouver, BC where he works as a freelance photographer and image editor as well as private photography tutor in his One-On-One Photography Workshops. He has completed assignments in many special events, portraiture, conceptual art, and commercial and advertising photography. Martin’s in-depth knowledge of photography is not only theoretical, but backed by over 10 years of professional experience and 10.000+ hours in Adobe Creative Suite. His diverse portfolio on large scale eCommerce shoots and advertising campaigns dates back to 2007, and has taken him to Africa, Europe and North America photographing objects ranging from eyelashes to horses and into the amazing world of Macro Cannabis Photography. Martin’s areas of expertise include macro focus stacking, digital image composites, conceptual photography, eCommerce & web platforms, advertising installations, large scale printing and analog film and manual darkroom processes.
Martin’s style, although always evolving, can be best described as minimalist, elegant, pure and visual intriguing. His ongoing project include fine art photographs of dead trees from the back of his kayak shot on medium format Mamiya RZ67, large scale panoramas of cityscapes, Cannabis Strains Encyclopedia as well as a 30 day travel diary shot entirely on 180 negatives of medium format film. When he is not squinting behind the viewfinder or editing in a dark studio nook, you can usually find him obsessing over another photography book, enjoying the outdoors and the arts, cooking up a new Szabo du jour for two, or sipping on a glass of his favorite BC vintage.
“Words fly away, photos remain.”
Martin Szabo
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Jennifer Petersen
“It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Martin. Not only did he capture the essence of what we do, and the beauty of our wish children, Martin was incredibly helpful and thoughtful throughout the process. He has a beautiful ability to make people feel comfortable in his presence, which is an incredible asset for a photographer. I hope we get the chance to work with Martin for years to come.”
May 20, 2016
Jennifer Petersen, Provincial Director BC & Yukon CHapter, Children’s Wish Foundation, Vancouver, BC – Canada
Shellee Nash
“Martin helped me out with an annual charity event and was absolutely amazing to work with. He came up with some very creative ways to not just showcase his talent but raise additional money for our charities. ‘Be Blown Away’ Portrait Experience was the talk of the evening where he went above and beyond. Part of his coverage was our event photography as well where he captured the evening beautifully. He is beyond talented and so very humble. I would work with Martin again in a heartbeat and anyone, who has a chance, would be lucky to work with him.
Thank you Martin, remember me when you are famous!”
December 15, 2014
Shellee Nash, Executive Assistant, DDB Canada, Vancouver, BC – Canada
Paige Calvert
“I had the pleasure of working with Martin and his team at our annual art crawl and auction, ShareDDB. While we had hired Martin to photograph the fundraising event, he went beyond our expectations by also donating beautiful photography to the auction and offering his ‘Be Blown Away’ Portrait Experience at our event, which was extremely popular with guests and helped us raise additional funds. Martin is talented and professional and I would not hesitate in hiring him again.“
December 9, 2014
Paige Calvert, Director of Corporate Communications & Public Relations, DDB Canada, Vancouver, BC – Canada
Susanna Matta
“Martin is a unique photographer. His work is art. His passion and originality makes him who he is. Definitely someone you want to work with! Worth all the pennies!”
September 16, 2014
Susanna Matta, Business Development Manager, The Bulldog Hotel & Silver Star Accommodation, BC – Canada
Kevin Paxman
“Martin did a Glamour Pet photo-shoot with two of my client pets. He was organized and efficient and a pleasure to work with. The photos turned out better than I expected and my clients were very pleased with the result. I would not hesitate to use Martin again for quality Glamour Pet photos and would recommend him to my clients and associates.
Thanks for a job well done, Martin!”
March 3, 2013
Kevin Paxman Owner of K-9 Crusader dog walking services, Vancouver
Jonathan Wheatley
“Martin is a brilliant photographer who excels in capturing intuitive and amazing shots of the countryside in British Columbia. I travelled with him on a trip to Dexter and he was keen to try out new experimental methods of photography using time lags and changes in speed of taking particular shots. He has some wonderful examples where we all leap in the air as if we are naturally airborne human beings! It is clear to me that his talents were wasted working in a hotel environment. Maybe it’s his Slovakian sense of independence and uniqueness or his love of the Canadian outdoors which explains his unexpected but incredible growing proficiency and development as a photographer. I don’t need to wish him the best in his career as I know for certain he will be fantastic!”
February 9, 2012
Jonathan Wheatley, presenter, BBC News
Simon Painter
“The most talented photographer I have ever used.. He creates art in photographs .. I would rather wait a month for Martin than hire anyone else.”
February 23, 2012
Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, Creative
Simon Painter , web designer, founder & owner of PurpleTurtle Productions
Katrin Gillespie
“Martin is a very talented photographer: his skill set is very developed in all areas: Abstracts, landscapes, portraits, experimental photography… What really impresses me most besides his incredible eye for details: he does not have a preference- he does it all very well and leaves you wondering what does he do next?”
February 10, 2012
Katrin Gillespie, Assistant Director of Human Resources, Four Seasons Resort Whistler
Elena Beveridge
“Martin Szabo did a number of food and drink still shots for Four Seasons Resort Whistler. He was organized, reliable and came to the table with a variety of creative ideas. The images were so beautiful we decided to use them in more capacities than originally intended, including press opportunities and on the Four Seasons website.”
February 9, 2012
Top qualities: Great Results, Good Value, Creative
Elena Beveridge Director of Sales, Four Seasons Resort Whistler
Karim Ladki
“one of the best photographers i have worked with. he has a unique perspective to his work, and his quality of work and ethic is unmatched to date.”
February 8, 2012
Top qualities: Expert, High Integrity, Creative
Karim Ladkiowner & founder of 9
Don Prins
“Martin is a stand up guy with an excellent work ethic!”
February 8, 2012
Don Prins, Sales Manager, Four Seasons Resort Whistler