After receiving a master’s degree in Kinesiology at McMaster University in 2004 and being accepted into medical school, Hartman decided to pursue a career as an artist. He is a self-taught photographer and apprenticed with Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky before embarking on his own career in photography. He is the recipient of several awards and grants, including those from the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts. Hartman’s work can be found in permanent public collections including those of the Art Gallery of Hamilton and the MacLaren Art Centre, as well as prestigious corporate collections such as those of the Royal Bank of Canada and TD Canada Trust.