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Matthew Jordan Smith is an American photographer with three decades of experience working in entertainment, fashion and beauty. He is known for his portraits of Hollywood A-list celebrities, actors, singers and models. He has photographed hundreds of celebrities including Angelina Jolie, Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Queen Latifah, Aretha Franklin, and Zendaya. He is a Nikon Ambassador, and part of the SanDisk Extreme team. Some of his commercial clients include international beauty brands Pantene, Revlon and Olay. He has appeared numerous times on the hit TV show America’s Next Top Model as a guest judge and featured photographer. He is the recipient of the Microsoft Icon of Imaging Award, the George Eastman Power of Image Award, and the WPPI Vision Award. He is the author of three books, Sepia Dreams, published by St. Martin’s Press, a collection of photographs and wise words from fifty celebrities who speak candidly about the motivations and qualities they believe made and kept them successful. His second book Lost and Found, sponsored by the Microsoft Corporation and endorsed by The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, features moving portraits of families dealing with the loss of a child. Smith’s third book, Future American President, features portraits of 100 children sharing their dream for the future of America. On September 1, 2020, Smith will debut Fluid, a new visual art form at the Kyoto Museum of Photography. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Smith lives in Japan, working between New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo.
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Matthew Jordan Smith's
Explore Matthew's Work
Behind the Scenes With Matthew Jordan Smith
I've always loved the fantasy element of fashion and beauty. I get to show what my idea of beauty is and create a fashionable version of life. It's a break from reality and I love giving the viewer that break.
My style can be defined as crisp, sharp beauty. I love making people feel good and, in the process, look good.
My style of photography is heavily dependent on my lighting. Sometimes it's just one simple light but other times I can have many different lights and types of lights. I'm definitely a lighting guy. For strobes, I've always used Profoto, but I also use Light and Motion constant lights, and a lot of Arrii lights as well. When it comes to light, nothing helps set you apart more, especially today when so many photographers are trying to make their mark. Lighting sets your work apart.
I have always tried to keep simple backgrounds. I like to use Black, white and grey because they are timeless. If you see an image today or in 20 years, the images stand the test of time. When I'm on location, I like shallow depth of field, so my subject stands out and the background falls away.
Each shoot begins with research. I want to know as much as I can, even if I've photographed them many times in the past. Then I try to make the shoot as intimate as possible, so I can break through any facades and get to the soul of the person.
My worst experience as a photographer took place as a young photo assistant in the early 90's. I was working for a photographer and we arrived on location and discovered I had left all the film back at the studio. I had to go back to grab it and the entire crew never let me forget it. It was a lesson on checking everything before going on location. My best shoot is a hard one because I've had many fantastic shoots in my career. My best experience is being able to make a living doing what I love for over three decades now. Nothing beats doing what you love.