Born on the 3rd of August 1964 in Uitenhage, Eastern Cape. Marthinus Hattingh studied Wood Technology and worked for Mondi Timbers. Having experimented with photography since an early age he decided to make it his career and decided to study photography. He completed his studies at Port Elizabeth Technikon at the end of 1995. While studying he started to freelance for the local Eastern Cape newspapers and by his third year, worked with the Sunday Times.
In 1997 he joined the department of photography at the Vaal Triangle Technikon as a lecturer in photography.
He has since completed his degree in Multi Media while lecturing at the Vaal Triangle Technikon. He has worked closely with MSF in Angola, documenting the effect of the civil war on the refugees in Angola. His work is mainly concerned with the human condition, depicting the impact of socio-economic factors on people in their environment.