About The Artist

Martin Linss is as comfortable a photographer on a fashion set in Los Angeles or New York as he is on a flatbed truck in Sierra Leone. Linss’s extensive range as both a cinematographer and photographer is demonstrated in a stunning and widely recognized body of work that he presents with the sincere hope that you will find as much reward and enjoyment in viewing as he has had during the creative process. From commercial projects such as Skyy Vodka (with Claudia Schiffer) to his volunteer efforts in Africa, Linss is able to find the central beauty or truth of any subject with astonishing ease, allowing his photography to naturally evolve — to possess the essential qualities as both a beautiful art form as well as a vehicle of simple truth. Many of his images reveal the subtle beauty that is so often initially concealed but once exposed by Linss become unforgettable imprints on the mind’s eye. Linss has recently turned his lens towards landscapes, finding his home in Venice Beach, CA to be an endless source of passionate inspiration. With its proximity to both nature, and its notoriously eclectic urban culture, this community is where the street meets the beach, offering a unique living canvas from which Linss can cherry pick the most amazing visual happenings and environmental ornaments. The “road trip” has also been a favored theme of late for Linss, allowing him to gift us with a series of haunting visions of trees and power lines with a splendid backdrop of stark winter skies. This perspective results in an edifying glimpse into what is both secular and divine. A native of Germany, Linss moved to NYC in 1989 to study cinematography at the School of Visual Arts; where he was recognized as a student for his exceptional skills. Since graduating with a B.A., Linss has been recognized for his work in the photographic arts: as a DP he collaborated directly with Kanye West on the music video “Stronger” - an MTV nominee for “Best Video of the Year”; he also worked with such recording artists as Ringo Starr, Yelawolf, Q-Tip and T-Boz. His commercial client list includes Master Card, Hennessy, Breathsaver and Maybelline to name a few. Recently he photographed Rosario Dawson for a personal project. Of late, Linss has been a regular in the Amazon studio, creating the web catalogue while also shooting a wonderful and important project for SHINE ON SIERRA LEONE.