Raúl Martínez Solares was born in Mexico City, in 1908. Cinemetographer, screenwriter and actor, he was brother of Gilberto Martínez Solares and Agustín Martínez Solares. He started working in 1934. He won the Ariel Award en 1958 for Yambao (Alfredo B. Crevenna, 1957). He died while filming El rincón de las vírgenes (Isaac, 1972).
With over 35 years behind the camera, he was a very prolific Mexican cinematographer. He is best remembered internationally for his atmospheric photography of a number of Mexican horror films.