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October 13, 2008 |
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Created and Maintained by: The Photoimaging Information Council |
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Columns |
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Born in New York and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, Matthew Jordan Smith has always had a love of life, light and photography. “Being in the south was a good experience for me as a child because it taught me to appreciate life, and also spurred my interest in photography. My father had this keen interest in photography and always had a camera around. Being a curious kid I always wanted to take his camera and play around with it, you know, and he eventually got a camera for me, showed me how to use it, turned one of the bathrooms into a makeshift darkroom, and it started there. From then on I've been hooked.” Smith has an immediately friendly and welcoming demeanor, completely devoid of pretension, as fitting one who has worked hard for his achievements and values determination over luck. Undoubtedly it is this attitude and ability to relate to others that has helped Smith run the track of his impressive career.  Dominique Dawes © 2004 Matthew Jordan Smith As an avid athlete in his youth, Smith started out taking pictures of his friends’ teams and might well have become a sports photographer. While attending the Art Institute of Atlanta, Smith’s career took a significant step in that direction when one of his images was published in Sports Illustrated.  Lena Horne © 2004 Matthew Jordan Smith As time went on, however, Smith’s sights turned away from sports photography and towards the world of commercial fashion photography. In order to pursue his new goals, Smith moved from South Carolina to New York City where he worked as a photo assistant for such prominent figures as Gregory Heisler and Antoine Verglass. As an assistant he worked hard to learn all that he could and kept his eyes continually on the prize. Smith’s first big break came when was commissioned to photograph Anita Hill for Essence magazine. His ability to capture beauty as well as power in his subject, and to present them in a unique light was immediately apparent and numerous big assignments were soon to follow.  Karl Kani © 2004 Matthew Jordan Smith From there it would be fair to say that Smith’s career has exploded. Though it has been a lot of hard work on long path through a fluctuating photo market, and Smith himself is cautious when it comes to saying that he’s “made it,” we can now count him as one of the world’s most prominent and visible photographers. He has photographed some of the most famous people in the entertainment industry such as Oprah Winfrey, Britney Spears, Vanessa Williams, Samuel L. Jackson and Star Jones. His work has appeared in magazines such as In Style, People, Savoy, Mademoiselle, Essence, Photo District News, and Professional Photographer. He has more than 50 magazine covers to his credit. Corporate clients include L’Oreal, Pantene, Revlon, HBO, Warner Brothers, Showtime and Lifetime. Smith frequently lectures on his work in photography, has taught at New York City’s School of Visual Arts, and is an active volunteer at other New York Schools such as Parsons School of Design and Pratt institute.  Lynn Whitfield © 2004 Matthew Jordan Smith In 2001, Smith’s first book was published by St. Martin’s Press. “Sepia Dreams: A Celebration of African American Achievement Through Words and Images,” includes interviews with and photographs of fifty African American celebrities. In the interviews, which Smith conducted himself, the celebrities share their experiences and thoughts about the personal qualities that enabled them to achieve their respective successes. It is an inspirational story sure to appeal to anyone who has found themselves struggling to achieve their dreams.  Blair Underwood © 2004 Matthew Jordan Smith Today, Smith continues to live and work in Manhattan, ever growing and developing in his skills for making beautiful images that show his unique talent for seeing and manipulating light. He is at work on a second book that will explore the bonds of family and their importance in American life. Recently, we talked with Matthew at his home on the West Side about some of his passions, the importance of knowing how light works as a photographer, sustaining a career in photography and the challenges and rewards of being a prominent African American photographer. Appropriately, the light in the room was magnificent, seeming to float up from the Hudson River so many floors below and fill the space with an almost liquid glow. >>Click here to read our interview with Matthew Jordan Smith... >>Click here for Matthew's Tips & Technques about lighting...
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