Polar Bears and Kyoto, Japan

Today I will give a two hour speech to PPSNYS in Albany New York for their photo convention. I will speak about beauty, fashion and portrait photography with a strong emphasis on creative lighting and interaction with your subjects. For the first time ever I've incorporated behind the scenes video's to add to my presentation. The one featured here is the first video shown in my presentation but there are a few more in between my presentation on different subjects.

Tomorrow morning I fly to Kyoto, Japan to start my weeklong seminar with Scott Robert Lim. We have a great seminar that we've put together with models, makeup artist and incredible locations in Kyoto. For those who are not able to make it, stay tuned for the U.S. version of my seminar coming starting in June. Details to follow soon, but for now continue to push yourself each time you take photographs. This week we all watched as President Obama made history again with health care reform. As I watched I noticed all the people surrounding him taking photo with their small camera's, i-phone, etc. Photography is bigger and stronger than ever before and it will only get better. As it grows more and more, anyone will be able to take amazing images because the technology will be there. The photographers who are able to take it to the next level beyond just great perfect exposure will thrive like never before.

Dream Big!

The next time you read this post I will be posting from Japan!

Speaking in Albany then Kyoto, Japan

The end of March is all about sharing knowledge with other, and there is no better feeling than giving back. This Friday from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., I will speak in Albany to Professional Photographers Society of New York State. The next morning I am off to Kyoto, Japan to give a week long intensive photography seminar with 25 students who are coming from all over the globe.

Stay tuned for my speaking seminar's schedule coming to a town near you!

Quick Note: The post from yesterday applies to all form's of photography no matter if you're photographing people or landscapes, use the law of opposites to make your images stronger. Look for examples in your favorite magazines from Italian Vogue to Travel and Leisure. Large vs Small, b&w vs color, etc.

Always Dream Big!

The Art of Selecting Your Photographs

Let's say you are now confident in your photography and shooting image's that you love. Now, how do you figure out which photograph's are best to show? I think every photographer struggles with this question from time to time and with good reason. You may be good at selecting images you love but do they work together to show your style and tell a story as your potential client's look at your work.

Whenever I edit my image's, and by edit I mean selecting the images that work together best, not retouching. When editing images I make small version first and place them on a flat surface so I can see all the images. Then I work on putting the images together that work best together. Very often the images I like most may not work together, so I change my edit to show a stronger story.

In a recent shoot with Alyson Stoner I had a million great shots, but in order to show the images in a way that works best I need to make sure I look to use the law of opposite's to put my images together. If you look at my website, www.MatthewJordanSmith.com, you will see that I show my images in groups of two, the same way a magazine is put together. I want to speak in a language that my clients are accustomed to, so I've chosen this way to show vs just showing images one by one. When showing two images side my side, one will always grab the viewer attention over the other, so I don't want the images to fight for attention. Instead I want one to compliment the other, so I use the law of opposites to help tell my story. Large image by small image, action vs still, eyes directly to my viewer vs looking away, etc. Look through your favorite magazine to observe this law and you will look at your images in a new light.

The third image is an example of image's that should not go together because both images fight against each other for attention. Both images are both tight beauty type images and by themselves work well, but when you put these images together they do not compliment the other and do you more harm than good.


To correct this I place an image with energy and movement next to the image that calls the viewer attention as in the first and second images, making for a better spread and showing not only your photography but your ability to tell a story.

Always Dream Big!

Success

You always pass failure on your way to success.
Mickey Rooney

Always Dream Big!

Print is moving... literally!

In "Lord of the Rings" one of the characters says, "the world is changing" and he was right. Today I saw an article that has to be one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time. This is not the future, it is now.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/a-peek-at-an-interactive-magazine-for-the-apple-ipad/?hpw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WeaC5QDUpg&feature=player_embedded

Finding Inspiration

Once upon a time Spike Lee had a store in Brooklyn that sold T-shirts with inspirational messages. I feel in love with one t shirt that had a typo printed big and bold across the front that read "it's not suppose to be easy". The truth is it's not supposed to be easy and the tough times are simply a test to make us stronger and smarter.

This week I've been beat up from all sides and it felt like the weight of the world was coming down on me. In times like this I feel it's important to find your source of inspiration, and tonight as I took a break to watch the movie "Remember the Titans". This movie has always moved me and tonight was no exception. The hard times sharpen our skills and cause us to dig deep within to find strength, tenacity and the source of our inner power. Never give up on your dreams! You may have to change the way you go after your dreams by going over a hurdle, or around it, or trying a different road all together but never give up.

My good friend Nicole Ari Parker plays the role of Denzel Washington's wife in Remember the Titans and I've included images from my last shoot with her here.

Keep Dreaming Big!

City Island

This week I saw my first cover of the year which was photographed for City and Shore Magazine out of Miami, Florida . The subject was Dominik Lorido Garcia who is Andy Garcia's daughter. Together they are starring in the new movie "City Island". I photographed the Dominik in Los Angeles with my Sony A900, using one of my favorite lights, the profoto beauty dish.

Now that the cover is out I must work on getting the most out of it by doing an email promotion to my clients. One of the best ways to keep working is to show your new work to clients and potential clients to always stay on their minds. A great personal project is good as well to keep putting new work in front of clients.

Business is constantly changing and we have to change with it. At the start of the year, I made a plan for the year in regard to my goals, marketing and promotion and business in general. This week I see that I need to address some things differently and make changes. Each Monday I will meet with my success team and lay out my weekly goals and write them down. This way we are all on track and it's easier to make changes as you go.


Dream big and push yourself to be the best each day. Shoot a photograph this week just for you and rediscover what you love about photography.

Film Editing vs Digital Editing

This afternoon I have been editing for what seems like forever. I started early this morning and I'm still at the computer even now but taking a short break to express my feelings. I remember the days sitting at a lightbox editing film and the film editing was so much faster. I yearn for the days when digital editing will be as fast if not faster then film editing was. Oh, by the way, by editing I do not mean "retouching" but simply the process of selecting the images for my stories.

After I finish selecting my top selects I will print out small 2x3 prints and have my intern cut them up so I can edit a little faster and put my story together with tangible images. Please share your thoughts guys!

Okay, back to work!

Always Dream Big,
Matthew

Award

I am honored to be one of three photographers honored by Network Northstar. The other two photographers honored are Damaso Reyes and Howard Bingham!


Always Dream Big!

Live Photo Shoot at WPPI Convention

If you've ever been to a photo convention and watched a live photo shoot then you know how corny they can be. The reason for this is most vendors use "convention models" which are not real models and not using real makeup and hair talent. I am pleased to say Sony has allowed me to bring in one of my favorite models and makeup artist to Las Vegas for the WPPI Convention. I will speak and shoot throughout the day today and tomorrow so please come by and watch me and my friends and we speak about our various forms of photography. This is a great way to learn more about the photography business no matter what avenue of photography you are in.

I will speak and show images and video's from my Pete Wentz, Elle Magazine photo shoot along with images and video from my Polar Bear story. Please come and ask as many questions as you'd like. Always seek knowledge because our industry is changing faster than you can say "pixel".

Dream Bigger!

Lunch with Zoe Saldana and James Cameron

It's Oscar week in Los Angeles, and yesterday I was invited to the Essence Salute to Black Women in Hollywood. This event is one of my favorites because it's a small formal lunch with a select group of people vs an evening event with a zillion people. The event is intimate and inspirational. This year the women honored were, Queen Latifah, Cicely Tyson, Zoe Saldana, Mary J. Blige and Gaborury Sidibe. I recently received the Kodak HDZx1 as a gift from Kodak and used it during my day. Here is a brief moment before we all went in for lunch yesterday.


At my table were the beauty editor of Essence Magazine, Mikki Taylor who was also honored, and the wife's of Samuel L. Jackson, and Densel Washington. The table beside mine has Zoe Saldana and James Cameron who introduced her for her awards. I had the opportunity to meet both Zoe and James and we had a great conversation and laughed about our creative sprit. Zoe is from Queens, New York and her sister, whom I also met, runs one of the photo studios in L.A. now, so I will now start shooting at her studio and hopefully shoot Zoe in the near future.

Always Dream Big!

Oscar Week

What a week! Still on a high from Alyson Stoner's photo shoot last week..

This week started with a photo shot in studio after being interviewed with the RED camera. After my interview I was photographed shooting one of my favorite models with my Sony A900 in Studio.

The Beauty of Back Light

I have always loved the look of sunlight at the end of the day on a beach. I love it even more when the sun is behind my subject and the sand acts as a big reflector. This shot for Brides magazine was inspired by my years of shooting on the beach during the last hours of sunlight.

To achieve this look, I used one light behind the subject and blocked the light from my lens with a black card. The black card kept me from getting flare in the lens but still allowed the light to hit my subject from behind. There is no light in front of my subject, just two large V flats in the shape of a giant U. I am standing in the middle of the fill cards which are also acting as my main source of light. If you look very closely you will see my in the models eyes surrounded by the white fill cards.

Always Dream Big!