Photos by Frank O’Brien, Ward’s uncle, and renowned photographer for The Boston Globe

by Jayden Leonard

Marty Ward is not your average 17-year-old. He has a divine skill set when it comes to cameras and has spent countless hours researching, editing, and uploading photos of Pembroke events and beyond, posting them for all to see. Ward has had many of his photos published in The Boston Globe and has earned recognition from photographers around the South Shore due to his appearances.

Ward always had an interest in technology, from playing video games, but after his mother showed him photos from Frank O’Brien, Ward’s uncle,  and renowned photographer for The Boston Globe, Ward's interest in photography grew exponentially. 

Ward took the entire 22-23’ Summer saving his money and researching cameras, contacting photographers who went to Pembroke High in the past. After saving up around $1000 from his job at Alumni Sports Cafe, he finally purchased his first camera in December of 2023. 

Fast forward to the fall of 2024. Ward is often seen at Pembroke athletic events, taking photos to post on his Instagram @martyward_photo, and to share with the people that he photographed free of charge. On top of Pembroke events, Ward has photographed figure skating around the South Shore, youth lacrosse games, and hopes to grow his social media. Ward’s Photos can be seen all around almost every Pembroke athlete's socials, and can even be seen on the walls of Pembroke High School. 

The Titan Times asked Ward some questions about his skills and passion for photography:

Q: What's your equipment setup?

A: Canon R10 with a Canon 70-200mm F/4 lens with a 1.4X teleconverter and a 50mm F1.8 lens.

Q: How much time a week do you spend doing photography-related activities?

A: Probably around 10-12 hours including editing and uploading on a busy week.

Q: What is your favorite sport to photograph?

A: Hockey for sure, there is a lot of action and you can always get a good shot.

Q: What made you get into photography?

A: Mostly my uncle, he was a Globe photographer for a very long time. 

Ward hopes to work in freelance photography until he grows enough of a following on the internet to get noticed by the globe professionally. Ward has already been featured in the globe and hopes to be compensated for his work soon. Ward ultimately wants to follow in his Uncle’s footsteps, but he knows this will be a difficult task to accomplish, his dedication to the art of photography is something that should not be doubted. Ward estimates that he has put in over 200 hours editing alone and he states that he is only getting more and more interested. 

Photos are shown to the public through his website martywardphoto.my. canvas.site