MATTHEW JORDAN SMITH

Biography

Matthew Jordan Smith is an American artist, photographer, author, and educator based in Tokyo, Japan. Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in South Carolina, he returned to New York in his early twenties and built a career spanning more than three decades.

Smith became known internationally for a rigorous approach to portraiture and the decisive moment, creating work for major publications, cultural figures, and global brands while developing long-term independent projects concerned with identity, aspiration, movement, and human experience.

His subjects have included Oprah Winfrey, Aretha Franklin, Zendaya, Samuel L. Jackson, Angelina Jolie, Michael Jordan, Martha Stewart, and George Lucas. His commissioned work has included campaigns and assignments for L’Oréal, Pantene, Revlon, Microsoft, and other international clients. He has also served as a guest photographer and judge on America’s Next Top Model.

Alongside his commissioned practice, Smith has produced an extensive body of independent work through books, exhibitions, and socially engaged projects.

His first book, Sepia Dreams: A Celebration of Black Achievement Through Words and Images, published in 2001, brought together portraits and interviews with fifty prominent Black Americans across the arts, entertainment, sports, business, and public life. Vanessa Williams contributed the introduction.

In 2006, Smith created Lost and Found for the American PHOTO Mission Series. Sponsored by Microsoft and endorsed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the project used photography to address the subject of missing children and was subsequently published as a book.

Beginning in 2012, Smith traveled throughout the United States to create Future American President: 50 States, 100 Families, Infinite Dreams. The project brought together photographs and interviews with one hundred children from all fifty states, asking each what they would do if they became President of the United States. Funded through Kickstarter and published by Goff Books in 2015, the book includes a foreword by Zendaya and a personal note from President Jimmy Carter.

Smith worked closely with Aretha Franklin during the final decade of her life, producing a sustained body of portraits culminating in Aretha Cool: The Intimate Portraits, published in 2024. The book includes photographs from Franklin’s final official portrait session. In July 2024, Whoopi Goldberg selected Aretha Cool as one of her favorite books during The View’s “Ladies Get Lit” segment. The book has also been featured by CNN and is available through the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

In 2021, Smith was commissioned by the International Olympic Committee to document life inside the Olympic Village during the Tokyo Olympic Games, held during the global COVID-19 pandemic. With spectators prohibited and athletes living under extraordinary restrictions, Smith recorded an historically unusual Olympic environment from within the Village. The resulting documentation is preserved in the International Olympic Committee archive.

Smith’s independent work has also been exhibited internationally. His long-running investigation into movement has been presented in Italy, China, France, and Japan, including Issue Fashion at WAVE Photogallery in Brescia in 2008; Power of the Image at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing in 2014; an exhibition of large-scale Fluid works in Bourbon-Lancy, France, in 2016; and a solo exhibition of Fluid at the Kyoto Museum of Photography in 2020.

Education and mentorship have remained central to Smith’s career. He has taught, lectured, and presented internationally for universities, museums, photographic institutions, professional organizations, and major industry conferences. His teaching history includes the School of Visual Arts in New York, Santa Fe Photographic Workshops, CreativeLive, Tsinghua University in Beijing, the Los Angeles Center of Photography, PhotoPlus Expo, WPPI, Imaging USA, The Portrait Masters Conference, BILD Expo, and numerous independent workshops and international educational programs.

In 2017, Smith undertook the Next Level Photography Workshop Tour, presenting twenty-six documented workshops across North America and Europe.

His honors include the Microsoft Icon of Image Award, the George Eastman Power of Image Award, the Legends Award, and the Western Digital Spotlight Award.

Smith is a Nikon Ambassador and SanDisk Ambassador. He lives and works in Tokyo.

SELECTED CURRICULUM VITAE

Selected Publications

2024
Aretha Cool: The Intimate Portraits
Integrated Communications Los Angeles (ICLA), Los Angeles, California

2015
Future American President: 50 States, 100 Families, Infinite Dreams
Goff Books, Novato, California
Foreword by Zendaya; personal note from President Jimmy Carter

2006
Lost and Found
Filipacchi Publishing USA
Created for the American PHOTO Mission Series
Sponsored by Microsoft
Endorsed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

2001
Sepia Dreams: A Celebration of Black Achievement Through Words and Images
Portraits and interviews with fifty Black American cultural figures
Introduction by Vanessa Williams

Selected Exhibitions

2020
Fluid
Solo Exhibition
Kyoto Museum of Photography
Kyoto, Japan

2016
Fluid
Large-scale works presented in Bourbon-Lancy
Bourbon-Lancy, France

2014
Power of the Image
Movement Series, created 2008–2013
Temple of Heaven
Beijing, China

2008
Issue Fashion
WAVE Photogallery
Brescia, Italy
November 20–December 10, 2008

Selected Institutional and Independent Projects

2021
International Olympic Committee
Tokyo Olympic Games
Commissioned documentation of life inside the Olympic Village during the Games
Tokyo, Japan
Documentation preserved in the International Olympic Committee archive

2012–2015
Future American President: 50 States, 100 Families, Infinite Dreams
Nationwide photographic and interview project involving one hundred children from all fifty U.S. states

2006
Lost and Found
American PHOTO Mission Series
Sponsored by Microsoft and endorsed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

2001
Sepia Dreams: A Celebration of Black Achievement Through Words and Images
Photographic and oral-history project involving fifty Black American luminaries

Selected Honors and Awards

2022
Western Digital Spotlight Award

2017
Legends Award

2014
George Eastman Power of Image Award

2008
Microsoft Icon of Image Award

Selected Teaching, Lectures, and Public Programs

2025
BILD Expo, New York
Main Stage — The Lens of Change: How Photography Transforms Lives
Nikon Stage — Street Smarts: Inspiration and Tools for Timeless Street Photography

2023
APA Study Hall — How to Define Your Photography Style

2022
The Portrait Masters Conference, Phoenix
Closing Main Stage — Something Personal: The Big Picture

2021
Los Angeles Center of Photography
How to Build a Career through Beauty Photography

2019
Santa Fe Photographic Workshops
Fashion and Beauty Portraits with Matthew Jordan Smith

The Portrait Masters Conference, Phoenix

PhotoPlus Expo, New York

2017
Next Level Photography Workshop Tour
Twenty-six documented stops across North America and Europe, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, London, and Amsterdam

PhotoPlus Expo, New York
Nikon Theater

2016
Profoto Master Class
Studio Ebisu, Tokyo

WPPI, Las Vegas
Nine speaking appearances across Nikon, Profoto, and Perfectly Clear stages

2015
PhotoPlus Expo
Nikon School Theater, New York

APA Los Angeles / Santa Monica College
Presentation on funding Future American President through Kickstarter

2014
Tsinghua University
Guest lecture and photography dialogue
Beijing, China

Power of the Image public seminars
Beijing, China

2013
Imaging USA
10 Secrets to a Successful Photography Career

WPPI
10 Secrets to Building a Powerful Photography Career

2012
CreativeLive
Working With Models

2011
CreativeLive
Beauty + Fashion

Santa Fe Photographic Workshops and professional photographic education programs throughout the United States and internationally

By 2001
School of Visual Arts
Instructor
New York, New York

New York City Board of Education
Photography mentor

Selected Clients and Subjects

Smith’s commissioned career has included work with major cultural figures and international brands.

Selected subjects include:

Aretha Franklin
Oprah Winfrey
Zendaya
Samuel L. Jackson
Angelina Jolie
Michael Jordan
Martha Stewart
George Lucas

Selected clients and commissions include:

L’Oréal
Pantene
Revlon
Microsoft
Nikon

Professional Affiliations

Nikon Ambassador

SanDisk Ambassador

Location

Tokyo, Japan

Born in Brooklyn, New York
Raised in South Carolina