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Amazon outtake

Amazon outtake

Marty’s photo of the day #4202: This is an outtake from the photoshoot for the cover of my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents. Yes, that is a real tailless whip scorpion on my forehead. They are mostly harmless, but having them crawl all over my face for the photoshoot tickled. […]

Weaving in Venice

Weaving in Venice

Marty’s photo of the day #4066: When Deb and I were in Venice, Italy in late 2018, I got to play reporter’s photographer at the Luigi Becilacqua workshop. There my wife interviewed a representative for an article she was writing for Handwoven Magazine. The velvet weaving workshop dates back to 1875, and their work is […]

Senator George McGovern and me

Senator George McGovern and me

Marty’s photo of the day #3653: For the 4th of July, I thought I’d share an excerpt from my latest book, Hits, Heathens, and Hippos: Stories from an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer. In this excerpt, I talk about creating and publishing my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents. And yes, it […]

An anniversary in the rainforest

An anniversary in the rainforest

Marty’s photo of the day #3191: Being self-employed often means seldom taking a vacation. Before Deb and I traveled to all seven continents in four years, we had gone ten years without taking a vacation, other than occasional long-weekend backpacking trips. Even then, our seven continents of adventures were technically work, because I turned them […]

Demonstrating social distance

Demonstrating social distance

Marty’s photo of the day #3190: This is my wife, Deb, north of the Arctic Circle, demonstrating social distance. Other than me behind the camera, there was likely no other person within fifty miles. The two of us were talking last night, and life during the COVID-19 pandemic won’t change much for us. We live […]

Labs hate clothing

Labs hate clothing

Marty’s photo of the day #3118: I did some of the photography for Deb Essen’s book, Easy Weaving with Supplemental Warps. When her publisher requested outdoor shots, she and I headed to a Forest Service cabin in southern Montana for a weekend photo shoot. While many of the photos from that weekend made the book, […]

For my wife

For my wife

Marty’s photo of the day #3013: I can’t believe it! Deb and I have been married 35 years as of today. This is one of my favorite photos of her, and here’s why: I could never be married to a woman who wasn’t intelligent, outspoken, brave, and adventurous. I wish you could have seen how […]

Watching platypuses

Watching platypuses

Marty’s photo of the day #2983: This morning I realized that I hadn’t posted a photo from Australia for a while, and as I was flipping through my shots, I spotted this somewhat artsy one of Deb sitting along the river. But why was she there? It took me a moment before I remembered: she […]

The intrepid wife

The intrepid wife

Marty’s photo of the day #2912: When my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, came out, and national reviewers read about Deb’s and my adventures racing a flash flood in Borneo, swimming with piranhas in the Amazon Rainforest, and surviving a hippo attack in Zimbabwe, they all settled on a common […]

Politically correct gone wild

Politically correct gone wild

Marty’s photo of the day #2897: I frequently rant about conservatives, but today I’m going to rant about liberals. Specifically that small segment of vocal liberals who are so whiny and so PC that they make me want to puke. Here are some examples: Not too long ago, I booked my client, Emmy nominee Naomi […]

Happy Birthday, Deb Essen!

Happy Birthday, Deb Essen!

Marty’s photo of the day #2665: Today’s photo doubles as a Paul Bunyan-sized Happy Birthday to my wife, Deb Essen. When I took this photo of her, a while back, we were just having fun. In today’s light, it’s actually political. Melania Trump is infamous for appearing in photos that are incongruous for the occasion: […]

Happy Birthday Joan Jett!

Happy Birthday Joan Jett!

Marty’s photo of the day #2314: Happy birthday Joan Jett! September 22 and September 23 are memorable days for birthdays. Today is Joan Jett’s birthday, and tomorrow is Deb Essen’s and Bruce Springsteen’s birthday. My wife is a lot younger than Bruce. She’s also younger than Joan, but just how much, we’ll keep a secret. […]