I first met Gene Martin while I was doing a wedding at the Astoria Manor. He came over to me while I was setting up mono-lights with either an umbrella or a halo by the piano and wanted to know what studio I was from and why I was working so hard. Seems that he was working for some "good friends" in Steinway and only getting 100 a job. That was about 25 years ago. That night we spend some time in each others cocktail parties and then he showed me his personal work that he kept in an attache case near his equipment.
He somehow met my life long friend George Spence and George start assisting him. This brought Gene to my other Friends Dave Smith and George Kunze, before you knew it we were all getting together whenever Gene had new work to show and our camera club was born!
Gene became a close friend and someone I could confide in. I went though an divorce and so did he and we were there for each other when we needed to talk. Boy the stories we told! Its not often you find someone who is truly concerned and really cares, Gene was just as intense in his emotions and he was in his photography. Like any life cut short, there is alot unfulfilled. Personally him and I were working on some projects together that will now never see the light of day and the world will be at a loss for the visions of things to come that he had. Anyone who met Gene couldn't help but be touched by the realization that here was a man who as long as he was alive would be going after his dreams.
