Published.
In Print, Forever.
2008 Banff Mountain Photography Competition Grand Prize
Blumen’s image, Rim Lit Climber, Céüse, France, topped a collection of more than 1,900 photographs from 20 countries submitted to the 13th annual competition. The competition is presented by National Geographic and New Balance, with assistance from 1% for the Planet and the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative.
About the publication:
Founded in 1933, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is a learning organisation built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and creative development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become the global organisation leading in arts, culture, and creativity across dozens of disciplines. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to inspire everyone who attends our campus – artists, leaders, and thinkers – to unleash their creative potential.
National Geographic Magazine
Marty’s image of Rock Climbers and Crescent Moon was published in a December 2004 article to illustrate rock climbing on the sheer granite cliffs of El Capitan, a 3000 ft monolith in Yosemite National Park. The Oscar winning documentary film ‘Free Solo’ featured Alex Honnold soloing this wall in 2018.
About the publication:
National Geographic is the official magazine of the National Geographic Society. It has been published continuously since its first issue in 1888, nine months after the Society itself was founded. It primarily contains articles about science, geography, history, and world culture.
‘Marty’s World’, Outside Magazine
Outside Magazine ran a multiple double-page feature spread showcasing Blumen’s photos, including Nepal’s Kathmandu streets, rock climbing on the world-famous MoonHill, China, and the alpine mirror lakes of British Columbia, Canada.
About the publication:
Outside publishes stories about adventure sports, gear, travel, fitness, health, culture, and the environment. We’re always on the lookout for reporting, essays, service pieces, and cultural criticism focused on the outdoor world. Because outdoor adventure writing has historically highlighted predominantly white male voices and subjects, we are particularly interested in women, BIPOC, LGBT+, and other diverse voices and subjects.
Viewfinder, New Zealand Geographic
New Zealand Geographic featured three double-page spreads of Blumen’s photos depicting the landscape beauty and adventure afforded by Mount Ruapehu, an active stratovolcano in New Zealand’s North Island.
About the publication:
New Zealand Geographic is a magazine published by Kowhai Media Ltd of Auckland, New Zealand, in the format popularised by National Geographic. It focuses on the biodiversity, geography and culture of New Zealand, New Zealand's interests abroad, and that of the adjoining region: Antarctica and nearby Pacific Islands.
Hot Shots, Action Asia
Hong Kong is a well-known mega-city with a relatively unknown natural beauty. Lantau Island was featured by Action Asia as a double-page spread, captured by Blumen after hiking during the cold and dark early morning hours.
About the publication:
Inform. Involve. Inspire. Simply put, these are the three functions of Action Asia. A bimonthly regional magazine, Action Asia is a ‘must read’ for lovers of the outdoors who want to do more with their time off than simply hang out on a crowded beach.Our contributors include many world-class adventure photographers and writers who keep the accent on discovery as they showcase the best that Asia-Pacific has to offer.
The New Zealand Alpine Club’s Journal published Blumen’s poetic account and photography of a trip into the mountains of New Zealand. Available to read and reproduced in the column to the right.
About the publication:
The annual New Zealand Alpine Journal is NZAC’s premiere publication; a record, source for research and a forum for reflection.
https://alpineclub.org.nz/
VISCERAL GAMES by Marten Blumen
Approach
The air - grey and misty. The mountain - glued together by dirt. This drives us closer to the edge. We are breathless, speechless and serious. This is Paradise?
The Pinnacles
Anchored, slung and the bottemless space is ours. First pinnacle and we're down or maybe not. The rock anchor has shifted, a buddy below, we grab to stop it. Done. Its time to move on. Down the pit again, all three little piggies on their way. Without guide or book we learn the path ourselves, remembering the 50 year old description - "an enjoyable day trip, not as hard as it looks" - we scoff at this as we fail to find a single solid anchor. We spy a tattered sling on a rock, out of reach and out of our version of sanity.
Escape
The Grand Gully. Our escape but a kicked rock 'speaks' of unseen cliffs. Yet the other ways are crazier - The Traverse of the Gods - wet and angled, strewn with loose debris. The gully below us. Fallen boulders temporarily halted from their slide by slags of mud and dirt - hardly the solid anchors needed for our descent - but we manage and walk down the mountain under stars.
Avalanche Awareness, Wilderness Magazine
The cover of Wilderness Magazine featured Marty’s photo illustrating Avalanche Awareness when travelling in the alpine backcountry. The image was shot on Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand’s North Island.
About the publication:
Wilderness has been published by Lifestyle Publishing since October 1991. Each issue, Wilderness chronicles the New Zealand outdoors in all its forms.
Exposed Challenge, Capture
Marten won the exclusive 2009 Capture EXPOSED competition. Capture aims to help pro photographers in the early stage of their careers getting published and rewarded for their creativity and professionalism.
About the publication:
Capture is Australia’s leading magazine for established and emerging professional photographers. It showcases the latest photography and editing products, equipment and techniques from Australia’s best-known companies and trend-setters.