Okay, so I’ve been hearing a lot about this “Martin Siegel” guy lately, mostly in the context of photography and some kind of unique style. I figured, why not dive in and see what the fuss is all about? I decided to spend a day trying to understand and maybe even replicate some of his techniques.
My ‘Martin Siegel’ Day
First things first, I needed to actually see his work.
I spent a good hour just browsing through photos. I quickly realized that it’s all about those stark contrasts, you know? The deep blacks and bright highlights. It is very dramatic.
Armed with this very basic understanding, I grabbed my camera. I have a decent DSLR, nothing too fancy, but it gets the job done. I figured I’d start with some street photography, since that seemed to be a common theme in Siegel’s work.
- Step 1: Find some interesting light. This was harder than I thought! I walked around my neighborhood for ages, trying to find places where the sun was hitting buildings just right, creating those sharp shadows.
- Step 2: Composition. I tried to frame things in a way that felt dynamic.
I looked for leading lines, interesting shapes, and all that. It’s tough!
- Step3:Take many photos. I took a lot of photos and adjust the setting for a while.
Honestly, my first attempts were pretty bad.
Everything looked either too flat or just… messy.
I realized I needed to be more deliberate with my settings. I switched to manual mode and started playing around with the aperture and shutter speed.
I wanted to underexpose most of the scene, but still keep some detail in the highlights.
After a few hours, and hundreds of photos, I started to get a feel for it. I wasn’t creating anything amazing, but I could see the potential. I started to understand how to use the light and shadow to create mood and drama.
Then came the post-processing. I loaded my photos into editing software. I usually just use some basic tools, nothing too complicated. I boosted the contrast, crushed the blacks, and played with the highlights until I got something that felt vaguely Siegel-esque.
The end results? Well, they’re definitely not on par with the master himself, but I learned a lot! It’s all about seeing the world in a different way, paying attention to the light, and not being afraid to experiment. I’m not sure I’ll be shooting like this all the time, but it’s definitely a fun technique to have in my toolbox.
It’s all about practice, I guess. And maybe a bit of natural talent, which I’m still working on!
