BRIAN SMITH PHOTO

WE'VE MOVED

2009-10-12T22:50:00.004-05:00

Please visit us at our new address:
www.briansmith.com/blog

And our new website:
www.briansmith.com

Sony Launches Pro Photographer Program"The Artisans of Imagery" at PhotoPlus Expo

2008-10-22T18:00:00.012-05:00

Brian Smith has been named as one of five photographers to launch Sony’s new professional photographer program, The Artisans of Imagery, which showcases five top professional photographers who have been using their Alpha A900 DSLRs and lenses from Sony. Smith joins Andy Katz, David McLain, Christina Mittermeier and Matthew Jordan Smith. Their photographic works were on display at the PhotoPlus Expo held in New York October 22-24.

Adobe Photoshop CS4 Launch - September 23rd

2008-09-08T18:53:00.002-05:00

Adobe will be officially launching Photoshop CS4, along with the rest of Creative Suite CS4, on September 23rd.

Any of you sitting on the edge of your seats for the details about nextest version can sign up to view the live webcast at: www.adobe.com/go/somethingbrilliant

University of Missouri Centennial Celebration

2008-08-31T12:53:00.000-05:00

I'll be speaking at the University of Missouri School of Journalism Centennial Celebration on the topic of Carrying Photojournalism's Practices to the Marketplace

Time: 3:45-5:00 p.m.
Date: Thursday, Sept. 11
Place: 110 Lee Hills Hall

A photojournalist's approach brings a spirit of vitality, spontaneity and creativity to advertising, public relations, nonprofit and corporate projects. In this presentation, award-winning photojournalists will lead a discussion about how to approach marketing-oriented assignments. The conversation promises to be valuable for both photojournalists and those who employ them.

30,000 Miles in 60 Days

2008-04-28T11:45:00.006-05:00

Our business has been up in the air the last two months...

Literally.

I just took a look at our latest air miles statements from America, Delta, Northwest and US Air and realized that we've flown over 30,000 miles in the last 60 days.

For fans of Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days" we've passed the earth's 24,900 mile circumference with plenty of time to spare.

Ah...just like the good old pre-911 days, well except of course that the lines at TSA add an extra 30 minutes or so to each flight...

WPPI - Las Vegas

2008-03-18T12:46:00.002-05:00

I'm in Vegas speaking at the WPPI Trade show for Sony Cameras. I recently had a chance to put the Sony Alpha 700 to the test on a few jobs. I can tell you that I like the lenses a LOT. The Zeiss glass reminds me of the medium format lenses that I've used for years. Sony definitely has the right idea. It's ALL about the glass. The Zeiss 24-70mm/2.8, 85mm/1.4 and 135mm/1.8 are all razor sharp, but what's hard to quantify is that not only are they sharp, but they have a great "look" that I've only seen from medium format glass.

I shot Hideki Matsui the with the Sony Alpha 700 a couple days after I got my hands on the camera. We were set up for a portrait shoot and waiting for Hideki when the Yankees PR came up to say he was doing the interview "now" and we might not get him later. Rather than tearing down one of the lights from our big set-up and dragging lighting across the stadium, I simply grabbed the Sony Alpha 700 and the Zeiss 85mm/1.4 and 135mm/1.8 lenses. These were shot in open shade under the stadium with the 135mm/1.8 wide open at 1/60 handheld at ASA 100. For the best quality, I always try to shoot at ASA 100 yet with the camera's image stabilization it was easy to keep every shot razor sharp.

Dec/Jan Latina Cover - Juanes

2007-11-27T08:14:00.000-05:00

The Dec 07/Jan 08 Double Issue of Latina featured my photos of Colombian singer Juanes, who became the first male celebrity to grace the cover of the magazine.

Leaf User Profile

2007-10-30T16:46:00.000-05:00

Leaf Digital rolled out their new website last week with a brand new look and they pimp me out with a proile on their Testimonial Page where I talk about the color and look of Leaf Digital files and the advantages of true 16-bit digital capture. I'm a big fan of Leaf backs and their Aptus 75S is like having a handheld scanner that cranks out a 200mb scan every 1.2 seconds...

from Leaf User Profile:
Brian Smith Celebrity and Star Athlete Portrait Photographer
Brian Smith’s 25-year career definitely hasn’t been dull. His broad range of work was honed during his 10 years as a news photographer, culminating in being awarded the Pulitzer Prize. “That was my training ground,” he reflects, “Newspaper photography lets you shoot a lot - a lot of times that means three assignments a day. It was almost like grad school. But I realized during these years that I wanted to spend more time with the people I photographed.”

Converting to Digital
He made the move into magazine shooting and advertising, which gave Smith more time to put into his assignments, while also offering him more resources. He was shooting medium format film with a Mamiya RZ, Mamiya 7 and Fuji 680. He recently made the switch to digital, and has been using a Leaf Aptus 75 for about a year. “I was a tough sell on digital because I wasn’t a convert to digital until I could get the look I was used to from medium format film,” he says, “It wasn’t until I started shooting with Leaf that I felt the same results. You’re back to a shallower depth of field. The sensor size plays a big part in this.” Smith finds that Leaf’s full 16-bit capture more accurately matches the subtle gradations of film. Plus, compared to even high-end 35mm digital, there’s no anti-aliasing filter so the raw captures don’t start out as mush. “I actually dial down sharpening to next to nothing because the sharpness is amazing.”

Speed and Quality
The two biggest things Smith was looking at in considering a medium-format digital back were speed and quality. When working with busy people every second counts. When it comes to capture rate fractions of a second can make the difference between catching and missing a shot. “I tried everything side by side,” Smith says, “and the skin tones were much more realistic with Leaf than with anything else. Other backs had a much more ‘digital’ look. Leaf images were more film-like, which matched the look I wanted to achieve without having to fight the files every time.” He adds that, in terms of bit depth, he can take the file and do amazing color adjustments and that the file integrity holds up well under re-touching. “I’m able to get a lot of
the look I was used to in fi lm without degrading the image.” He uses a Leaf digital back because of the quality it delivers. “It’s a case of when it’s even more important to me than to some of the clients,” he confides. “In general, photographers can see a huge difference even if clients can’t. I use my Aptus to get the quality I want.”

Perfect Partner for Realizing Your Vision
Smith is almost always called for bold, dynamic, and colorful images. When doing a celebrity or an athlete, they’ll dictate the time of the shoot, so he’s found ways to light up his shots, often adding a strobe light. “A lot of what I’m trying to do is somewhat more humorous and playful. Depending on what I’m shooting.” For this he relies on his Leaf back to get the results he needs, even under extreme conditions. Take for example last year’s shoot in the British
Virgin Islands for Time Magazine to photograph flamboyant Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin brand empire and who’s now expanding into commercial sub-orbital space travel with Virgin Galactic. “With Branson dressed in a spacesuit, we were able to shoot really quickly just as the sun came up,” Smith describes. With rapidly changing light, the Leaf Aptus 75 kept the rhythm going, adding a lot to the speed and the amount of material they were able to shoot. Smith experienced the same when photographing professional athletes, where just as in sports, fractions of a second make the difference between success and failure. When Smith was assigned by ESPN the Magazine to shoot last year’s Home-Run King, Ryan Howard, before a game against the Florida Marlins, he was told that he had only 10 minutes to shoot before batting practice, and had to be packed up and out of there before any other players took the field. “Shooting with a Profoto 7B strobe, the Leaf Aptus 75 outpaced the recycle of the strobes, and I never had to slow down to wait for the back to catch up,” he explains, “so, when my 10 minutes were up, I had everything I needed and more - tight, medium and loose shots of Howard holding his bat and action shots of his home-run swing and follow-through. The quality was incredible. The 33MP back captures even the finest detail - every thread in his uniform. The gloss of the lacquer on his bat looked like glass. Everything the magazine could ask for - priceless.”

Download PDF

Does EVERYONE in New York Drink Veuve-Clicquot?

2007-10-24T08:54:00.001-05:00

Holy Crap, does everyone in New York drink Veuve-Clicquot???

Wednesday night after my gig at SVA my wife and I end up at Linda Troeller's apartment at the Hotel Chelsea drinking Veuve-Clicquot with her and my good friends Keith Green and David Lehman. An unforgetable esperience hearing about the Chelsea from one of its longest residents. Walking down nine floors to check out the amazing art collection beat any museum in the city.

Then Friday after returning fom Michigan, I had an late afternoon meeting with the leading style magazine which ended in...you guessed it...Veuve-Clicquot...so I gotta ask, does this stuff come in six-packs in the city???

ASMP - Michigan - October 25, 2007

2007-10-24T08:52:00.001-05:00

ASMP Michigan presents
Brian Smith, President of Editorial Photographers
THE ART AND COMMERCE OF EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Thursday, October 25, 2007
Lansing Michigan

The latest stop of Art and Commerce was Lansing, Michigan for the Michigan chapter of ASMP where we drew photographers from three states. Thanks to ASMP chapter president Brendan Ross for chauffeuring me back and forth to the Detroit Airport so I could make my 6 AM flight back to New York...

Speaking at SVA - October 24, 2007

2007-10-24T07:37:00.001-05:00

Katrin Eismann is a PhotoShop Diva. Actually, Katrin Eismann is the PhotoShop Diva. Katrin is also the head of the new MFS program at the School of Visual Arts in New York. So when Katrin asked me to speak to her Masters class, I could only say...absolutely...especially since my friend David Lehman is one of the students. So...

MAGAZINE CELEBRITY PORTRAITURE
Brian Smith, President of Editorial Photographer s

Date: Wednesday, October 24th
Time: 7 PM
Location: School of Visual Arts - 2nd floor
Address: 132 West 21st Street (between 6th & 7th Ave) New York, NY 10011

Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Brian Smith photographs the famous and infamous faces of our time. He will discuss ways to get and keep the attention of photo editors and art directors at top magazines; how to balance the needs of the clients who hire you with the demands of noteworthy and notorious celebrities and their inner circles and finally how to get paid.

PhotoPlus Expo - New York 10/18-10/20

2007-10-07T14:56:00.000-05:00

Noticing Getting Noticed by ASMP

The ASMP booth on the PhotoPlus Expo show floor featured my Nudist Golfers...

Leading Photo Associations Tackle Key Issues
Friday, October 19th 10:20 AM – 11:00 AM
Moderator: Betsy Reid, SAA
Panelists: Roy Hsu, SAA, Brian Smith, EP, Judy Herrmann, ASMP & Constance Evans, APA

Join representatives of SAA, ASMP, APA and EP for a frank discussion of the key issues impacting the business of pro photographers. We will address the challenges of the changing business environment and address specifically: pending orphan works changes to copyright law; shift from print to digital media; devaluation of professional imagery due to new stock industry models and pricing; predatory contracts; the rise of amateur and part-time participants in our industry.

Editorial Photographers Presents: The Business of Magazine Photography

2007-10-07T14:24:00.001-05:00

Date: Wednesday, October 17th
Time: 12pm-2:50pm
Location: School of Visual Arts - Room 101C
Address: 132 West 21st Street (between 6th & 7th Ave) New York, NY 10011
Price: Free (yea, we knew you'd like that one...)

The Art and Commerce of Editorial Photography
Speaker: Brian Smith

Despite rumors to the contrary, the death of magazine photography has been greatly exaggerated. Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Brian Smith, President of Editorial Photographers, will discuss how to maximize the creative and commercial rewards while avoiding bad contracts, stagnant rates and rights-gobbling appetites of multinational media corporations. He remains a firm believer that editorial photography can remain financially viable provided photographers retain unencumbered re-licensing and reprint rights to their photos, Smith will reveal what it takes to make a living in editorial and what it takes to get and keep the attention of photo editors and art directors at top magazines and how production value can make your work stand out, citing examples of production involved in small, medium and large editorial shoots.

He will discuss the need to charge properly for the time and expense of digital capture and processing and why photographers and agencies may be to blame for unreasonably low caps that some magazines that some magazines have placed on digital fees. Photographers, when united, have been able to affect positive change to the industry for fair contracts paying higher fees and space usage and how photographers unwilling to turn down bad deals can send it all tumbling down.

Smith's first magazine photograph appeared in Life Magazine when he was a 20 year-old student at the University of Missouri. Five years later he won the Pulitzer for photographs of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Based in Miami Beach, his work has won awards in World Press Photo, American Photo, Pictures of the Year and Communication Arts Competitions and appears regularly in ESPN the Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Time, Forbes, Business Week and the New York Times Sunday Magazine. His corporate clients include the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, Kraft, Nabisco, TNT and NBC. His work can be seen at: http://www.briansmith.com

Getting the Job: Marketing and Self-Promotion
Speaker: Pat Harbron

Patrick Harbron started his career music photographing the major stars of rock and roll for album covers, concert tours, books and magazines. Patrick’s work grew beyond music to become a unique kind of portraiture. His work now appears in magazines, advertising,film, annual reports and books. His clients include Rolling Stone, Time, Forbes, People, Business Week, New York, Discover, Money, Boston and many others. His imaginative style of photography is well suited to advertising and design for whom he has created ads for Apple Computer, Home Box Office, IBM, American Express, GTE, AT&T, Showtime, ABC,FX Network, NBC and Disney Films.

Patrick has produced three books of photography published by The Bantam Dell Publishing. Recognition for his work includes numerous awards from American Photography, Communication Arts, Society of Publication Design, How Design, The Art Director’s Club of Canada, PX3, The Lucie Awards and Print. His work has been exhibited in group collections and three solo shows, most recently, ‘Desert Sea Shores - Views Of The Salton Sea’.

Patrick is a faculty member of the International Center of Photography in New York City and he lives in New York’s Hudson Valley. His work can be seen at www.patrickharbron.com

Sponsored by Editorial Photographers

ASMP - South Florida - September 27, 2007

2007-09-16T23:55:00.000-05:00

For all of you in South Florida who've been bugging me to give a presentation in Miami, the latest installment of The Art and Commerce of Editorial Photography takes place right here in Miami Beach at Crispin Porter + Busosky's Miami Ad School on Thursday, September 27th

ASMP South Florida presents
Brian Smith, President of Editorial Photographers
THE ART AND COMMERCE OF EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Where: Miami Ad School
When: doors open at 6:30…presentation at 7PM
More info at http://www.asmpflorida.com

Four Magazine Covers at Once

2007-09-13T11:06:00.000-05:00

On a trip to Barnes & Noble in late September, I was looking at four of my magazine covers all staring back at me at once...

Cool...

I decided that merited a VENTI Latte....

Speaking in Washington, DC September 11, 2007

2007-08-29T21:28:00.001-05:00

ASMPDC presents

Brian Smith, President of Editorial Photographers
THE ART AND COMMERCE OF EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Tuesday, September 11

Despite rumors to the contrary, the death of magazine photography has been greatly exaggerated. Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Brian Smith, President of Editorial Photographers, will discuss how to maximize the creative and commercial rewards while avoiding bad contracts, stagnant rates and rights-gobbling appetites of multinational media corporations. He remains a firm believer that editorial photography can remain financially viable provided photographers retain unencumbered re-licensing and reprint rights to their photos, Smith will reveal what it takes to make a living in editorial and what it takes to get and keep the attention of photo editors and art directors at top magazines and how production value can make your work stand out, citing examples of production involved in small, medium and large editorial shoots.

He will discuss the need to charge properly for the time and expense of digital capture and processing and why photographers and agencies may be to blame for unreasonably low caps that some magazines that some magazines have placed on digital fees. Photographers, when united, have been able to affect positive change to the industry for fair contracts paying higher fees and space usage and how photographers unwilling to turn down bad deals can send it all tumbling down.

Smith's first magazine photograph appeared in Life Magazine when he was a 20 year-old student at the University of Missouri. Five years later he won the Pulitzer for photographs of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Based in Miami Beach, his work has won awards in World Press Photo, American Photo, Pictures of the Year and Communication Arts Competitions and appears regularly in ESPN the Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Time, Forbes, Business Week and the New York Times Sunday Magazine. His corporate clients include the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, Kraft, Nabisco, TNT and NBC. His work can be seen at: http://www.briansmithphoto.com

Serena Then and Now...

2007-05-18T12:06:00.000-05:00

I photograph a lot of athletes on their way up. Some like Alex Rodriguez, Andy Roddick and Maria Sharopova make it...and some don't.

None have been as rewarding to watch on their march to greatness as the Williams sisters. While photographing Serena for this week's issue of Time Magazine, I was reminded of the very first time I photographed the sisters back in 1994 when Serena was a mere 12-year-old phenom.

Getting Noticed by ASMP

2007-05-12T09:15:00.000-05:00

The American Society of Media Photographers is running one of my Nudist Golf photos in ads in the Spring 07 issue of the ASMP Bulletin and the May 07 issue of Photo District News.

Turns out that Nudist Golfers can get you noticed...

Who knew...

Profiled in AFTERCAPTURE April/May 2007

2007-04-03T22:20:00.000-05:00

Victoria Vestal profiles me in a 5-page feature article in the April/May 2007 issue of AFTERCAPTURE magazine where we talk celebrities, sports, workflow, gear and my career.

Leslie Nielson gets 'Drafted'

2007-03-02T01:11:00.000-05:00

When actor Leslie Nielson suggested wearing a tuxedo for a poolside cover shoot for the March 007 issue of Draft magazine, I couldn't help but think of Connery, Sean Connery at the Fountainbleau pool in 'Goldfinger.'

So Nielson got his lager served in a manner befitting a secret agent...

Richard Branson goes into Space for Time

2007-02-22T21:58:00.001-05:00

"Richard Branson...on Necker Island...in a Spacesuit..."

That was the pitch from Time Magazine deputy photo editor Dietmar Liz-Lepiorz. As pitches go, that was as good of a pitch as I've heard. But to be honest, he had me at Branson...

Richard Branson is the type of subject every photographer simply loves. He gets a good concept when he hears one.

So when Time Magazine suggested putting him in a spacesuit for a story about his new Virgin Galactic space flights, he was immediately onboard. While Dietmar and Los Angeles photo editor Martha Bardach were arranging for the suit to be shipped to the Caribbean, we were off to Branson's private island Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.

We were up before the sun on the Christmas eve taking a boat out to a little spit of sand in the Caribbean just off Necker Island. Branson donned the spacesuit right as the sun began to break the horizon. There is something very heroic about the dawn's first light...well at least if you happen to be photographing a guy is a spacesuit....

Nascar Drivers Hit the Beach in USA Weekend

2007-02-17T09:09:00.000-05:00

This week's USA Weekend's NASCAR Special Issue cover celebrates the season-opening Daytona 500 and includes a double-page poster featuring three of the sport's hottest young drivers. NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin were photographed by our crew at Homestead Speedway at the final race of the 2006 NASCAR season.

Photographing a Living Legend

2007-02-11T07:07:00.001-05:00

I grew up in the days before fitness gurus were everywhere you looked, in those days when fitness could be summed up in just three words...
Jack...La...Lanne...

I started each day watching "The Jack La Lanne Show" before heading off the school. This past October, I was lucky enough to get a the chance to photograph the world's youngest 92-year-old and his wife Elaine near their Morro Bay home.

I tell everyone that I have the greatest job in the world. This is just further proof of that...

'No Way Renee'

2007-02-10T10:23:00.000-05:00

My latest books in print include Dr. Renee Richards' second autobiography:
'No Way Renee: The Second Half of My Notorious Life' published by Simon and Schuster. The cover photo of the first transexual tennis player to play on the Women's Tennis Association Tour was taken on a day-long People Magazine feature shoot at Renee's home in upstate New York. This photograph and many others images are available for licensing from Corbis Outline 212 375-7600.

Fine Living Channel - February 9th & 10th

2007-02-04T12:27:00.000-05:00

FINE LIVING CHANNEL: Me vs. Me - Sports Photography
I teach a Little League mom how to become a Big League sports photographer and then watch me struggle to find a way to create a colorful portrait on a typically gray Seattle day.

AIR TIMES:
Saturday, February 9, 2007 10pm EST/7pm PST
Saturday, February 9, 2007 10pm PST
Sunday, February 10, 2007 1am EST

New Books in Print

2007-02-03T16:08:00.001-05:00

Communication Arts Photo Annual Awards

2007-02-03T15:55:00.001-05:00

Even though I shoot a lot of famous athletes like Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade, more often I get the call to shoot more unusual aspects of sport like the Gatorade scientists, female boxers or 80-year-old surfers. With the possible exception of the Olympics, my favorite sports shoot of all time was a shoot that I did for Miriam Marseu of Sports Illustrated on Nudist Golf. We had a couple hours over two days to shoot on a tiny nine-hole pitch and putt golf course at one of Florida’s oldest Naturist Resorts just down the road from Disneyworld.

Of course the real challenge was keeping all the naughty bits hidden so that it could actually appear in a magazine that annually finds ways to hide the naughty bits of 6’4” 19-year-old supermodels in their highly touted “Sports Illustrated I Forgot to Wear My Swimsuit Issue.”