Martinoo Biography

ITINERARY OF AN UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER AND PASSIONATE DIVER

Welcome to Martinoo.com !

My name is Olivier Martinez aka Martinoo, I am a professional diver and underwater photographer. From Paris to Southeast Asia, discover my journey as well as my love story with underwater life which is my inexhaustible source of photographic inspiration.

1996: THE YEAR OF DISCOVERY.

I was on vacation in Maldives and I couldn't resist the urge to do a first dive. Underwater life immediately fascinated me, I lived the most intense minutes of my life. Back on land, I had only one desire: to dive again.

I did not know, at that time, that discovering underwater world would change my life forever.

FROM A HOBBY TO A FULL-TIME JOB.

I was working as a video editor for a large media group in Paris, my hometown. Diving had become a passion, I passed my levels and my trips had one and only goal: diving !

A restructuring of the company gave me the opportunity to benefit from an economic layoff in 2001. I took the opportunity to change life and to live off my passion for the oceans. With my diving guide diploma in hand, I decided to use my skills as a cameraman and editor for underwater videos. I practiced my new job in Thailand and Egypt, making souvenir films for divers.

In 2005, I gave up my nomad life to move to Thailand. I moved to Phuket and graduated as a diving instructor specializing in photo and video training. I was a professional freelance "multi-card" diver and dive centers enrolled me as:

• Cruise Director on Liveaboard boats,

• Instructor from zero to heroes divers,

• trainer in underwater photo and video,

• Private dive guide aboard luxury yachts.

FROM VIDEO TO UNDERWATER PHOTO.

In 2008, I launched my own company  Asiaqua.com a diving travel agency specializing in Southeast Asian locations. With my knowledge of the area I organized diving holidays, cruise version or resort stay. I fulfilled the "bubble dreams" of hundreds of divers each year, advising them of the best spots in the Pacific and Indian Ocean. My organizational skills naturally pushed me to collaborate with my service providers in order to charter my own diving cruises. This was the opportunity to bring together divers and underwater photographers, but also to dive, to practice my passion for underwater photography and to share exclusive moments.

During 2011, I became more interested in underwater photography. As I explained in my  artistic approach, my first images were not very subtle, more like souvenir photos. However, this activity did fascinate me and I never dived without my camera.

It was in 2014 that I decided to leave Thailand to settle in the Philippines. The dive sites of this archipelago of 7,000 islands offered me the opportunity to perfect my practice as an underwater photographer, as they abounded in my favorite subjects in macro and super macro.

The year 2016 marked the start of my evolution from beginner to semi-professional underwater photographer. Thanks to beautiful friendly and inspiring encounters, I chose to improve myself in artistic underwater photography. My credo was the presentation of underwater animals in their natural environment, without causing them stress, while respecting their way of life.

My technique as an underwater photographer improved with perseverance and multiple dives. I invested in professional equipment and the quality of my images was constantly improving. I then entered various competitions for underwater photographers. To my surprise, I won a few prizes which, in all humility, brought me a lot of pride.

WHY PRESENTING MARTINOO.COM ONLINE ?

After five years of learning and experiencing underwater photography, I have assembled an impressive image bank on my hard drives. It is therefore time for me to present my work as an underwater photographer. I admit that I find difficult to see myself as a professional (although those around me try to persuade me otherwise). I prefer to qualify as an underwater photographer in constant evolution, motivated by the quote from French writer Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux: "Twenty times on the job, hand over your book. "

This site is dedicated to lovers of underwater life that I try to magnify through my underwater photographer eye, as well as to lovers of artistic pictures.

My most beautiful photos are available for sale, you can acquire my unique and original "jewelry" images from € 5, € 45 for images on support. For larger sized prints printed like a work of art, signed and numbered, prices range from € 45 to several hundred euros depending on the size and medium.

Pour les tirages de plus grandes tailles imprimés comme une œuvre d’art, signés et numérotés, le tarif s'échelonne de 90€  à plusieurs centaines d’euros suivant la taille et le support. 

Other photos are available in NFT format, you can discover them soon. 

Whatever your purpose of action, whether you are a buyer or a simple visitor, I hope you will enjoy discovering my images and appreciate the beauty of the oceans and its sea creatures. I am delighted to friendly present them to you and, if you appreciate my work, please do not hesitate to share it.

I wish your visit to Martinoo.com to be a time of visual pleasure and wonder, leave me your opinion below.

All the best

Martinoo