↑ Balwinder and his crew fixed the sidewalk outside my apartment in Brooklyn, and I appreciate his handiwork every day.

↑ I shot this series in two sessions. The first group was taken in Savannah, during my time at SCAD. I had the pleasure of photographing this man who was touching up the paint at the university's gallery. Both the painters making work that is hung inside the gallery and the work of this man painting the outside are vital to our society.

 
 

Noble Work

Recognizing Those We Need to Keep America Running

 



↑ Stacey likes to climb. Before becoming a climbing arborist, she was the manager of a rock climbing gym.

 
 

There is value in good work. Whether by a banker or bricklayer, work done well contributes to the flourishing of our communities. While many in society aspire to become bankers and business-people, the workers who make those white-collar jobs possible are often overlooked.

 
 
 

↑ Carlos travels from the Bronx to Chelsea to maintain one of the most beautiful private parks in the city.

 
 

↑ Esmaylin is on his way up. He drives the bus for two hours each morning and two hours in the afternoon. The rest of his time is spent in school where he is learning to be an aircraft technician.

 
 

In “Noble Work” Rachel Martin brings the working class to the foreground, emphasizing the dignity and value of their work.

 

↑ Adams described to me that most commercial carpenters no longer work with wood, but primarily with metal. He is exuberant, though meticulous and constructed all the metal frames that surround him in this image.

 

↑ “They know me on this block. I’m David the Mailman”

 
 

She photographed the subjects using a bellowed view-camera that captures images on 4”x5” sheets of film. This method increases the formality of the portrait. It has the ability to capture the subject in a posed and dignified way. It also links the image back to the formal portraiture of the past. It was the method used to photograph princesses and Hollywood starlets. It is a strenuous and expensive process, but a medium meant to convey the worth of the subject.

 
 
 
 
 

Solo Show


The Gallery at W83


New York, NY

 
 

Email Rachel at rmartin9379@gmail.com to inquire about exhibiting this series in your space.