Ice cold camera tips

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Today it seems to be cold everywhere so I thought it was the perfect time to give a tip for taking pictures in the cold.

When going from a warm environment to a cold one, or vise versa, your camera lenses will fog, making it impossible to shoot for 15 minutes or more until the camera becomes acclimated with the temperature change. One way to avoid this is to keep your lenses and camera in large zip lock bags and let them open your camera bags and allow your gear to adjust this way. It's not perfect, but it makes it easier and faster so you can take great shots in the snow this winter. 

Stay warm and always dream big!

Thanks T.E.A.M.

Having the right team is the secret to moving forward no matter where you are in the world. I have always loved the creative process and nothing feels better than meeting new people and creating great work together.

A big thank you to all the teams I've worked with in Tokyo over the last few weeks. I look forward to working with all of you much more in the future.

TEAM

TOGETHER

EACH

ACHIEVES

MORE

 


Adult Day

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Today in Japan,  I experienced a beautiful celebration called Coming-of Age-Day. The holiday is held to celebrate all those who have turned 20 years of age. Girls dress up in the beautiful intricate Kimonos. Some use the day to make their own personal statement by going against the norm but none-the-less it's a great day to take pictures and photographers were out in full force.

How did he light this picture?

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This January I'm devoting much of my time to teaching photographers the art of photographic lighting.

 

If you'd like to learn how this advertising image for Wells Fargo was created and much more, sign up now at www.MatthewJordanSmith.com/FREE and you'll be added to our list and be among the first to learn how to use photographic lighting to make incredible images.

Happy New Year!

Always dream big

Inspired by Elle

For the last three to four months I've been working on a new way to teach photographers about lighting and the art of photography. Every day I spend as much time as possible working on my material to teach photographers. Today as I was going over one section of my upcoming series, I remembered what inspired me to first start looking into working with large umbrella light modifiers.

 

In the late 80's and 90's I was hooked on Elle magazine and the amazing images that were produced each month.  As I studied the images, I was intrigued by the way the photographs were lit. They were just beautiful! Elle magazine and the work of Gilles Bensimon opened my eyes to working to seeing light in a brand new way. 

Always  keep your eyes open for new ways of seeing light. Your inspiration may come from a magazine or from your day-to-day activities, but stay alert to seeing and observing light each and every day and incorporating  what you see into your images.

Yesterday I was walking down the street when I passed an area as the sun came through two buildings. I was so taken with the quality of light that I had to pull out my iPhone and record the moment. 

Look for light every day and always dream big.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

 

This year, I am starting to work on a new series of images. This is the first image in the series and I'm excited to bring the other images in my mind to life.

We all have something different that inspires us and I've learned that being in a big city is what inspires me more than anything else. Maybe it's the energy or the people, but big cities seem to get my creative juices flowing more than anything else. That said, I believe my time living in Los Angeles is coming to an end. La La land has been coolt in terms of weather but I miss living in a city where I walk out the door and see 1000 people the first five minutes of the day.

More soon!

Always dream big. 

The way we see

This holiday season as you take your pictures remember that your camera does not see the same way  you see. Next month I will begin sharing FREE videos on how to learn photographic lighting.

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Happy holidays and stay warm.

Always dream big

Testing before shooting

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I have an idea for a new photo shoot, but the concept is only in my mind. To make sure the idea will work in reality, I need to test it. Testing has always been a major part of my photo life and it still is. Everytime I test an idea it leads to creating something amazing. Hopefully that pattern ocntinues with my upcoming images

This past week a good friend came to town and helped me work out the kinks in my ideas and helped to make them better. These two images are shot back-to-back but one requires a lot more patience.

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Photographed with the Nikon 810 camera using the Nikon 35mm 1.4 mm lens.

I'll share more on these image over the holidays but for now. always dream big.

 

 

Do you see what I see?

About ten years ago Vanessa Williams releases a Christmas album titled "Star Bright." There was a broadway special that year and I attended the opening to watch my friend perform and it was incredible. Every Christmas season since then I hear songs from that album and it takes me back to that night in New York City when I first heard her sing songs from the album live.

Yesterday, while trapped in L. A. Traffic, I heard those words "do you see what I see" from my car radio and it made me think of what makes a photographer stand out from other photographers?

The answer is the way we see. No one will ever see the world exactly as you do so keep that in mind as you take pictures this holiday season. Take pictures the way you see the world and share your special unique vision!

Always dream big! 

An incredible lens

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My good friend Peter came to town yesterday and we spent the day talking photography and meeting up with another photographer friend of mine to eat sushi. After lunch Peter helped me by posing as my subject on a project I'm working on that will help photographers around the world learn lighting techniques.

At the end of the day we went to the beach and did a little experimenting with filters and different lenses and I feel in love with a lens that he owes, the Nikkor 14-24mm lens. Photographer, Joe McNally swears by this lens and now I know why. It's now on my MUST HAVE list and I can't wait to add it to my arsenal. 

Here's one of my first images with it.


   

 

 

 

Happy holidays and always dream big.

Should you use a tripod?

A few weeks ago I was shooting in Japan and using a tripod to support my Nikon D810 when two young guys walked up to me speaking English.  I learned they were visiting Japan for the first time and just happened to be from Los Angeles. They asked me why I was using a tripod and I told them I had an idea that needed a tripod to make my idea come to life. They both had iPhones and asked if my images were better from a camera and I explained that the images from their phones looked great on a phone but were limited outside being seen on a phone or on the web. They asked if I was a professional photographer and I handed them my American business card before saying goodby and wishing them a great time durng the rest of their stay in Japan.

This weekend in Los Angeles I went to a bonfire and brought my tripod along. I thought it would be a beautiful sunset and wanted to photograph the bonfire with the afterglow of sunset in the background. While I was shooting my friends wondered what I was doing but once I placed a few of the images on Facebook then started contacting me and saying how much they loved the images. They were all using smartphones to take pictures but didn't understand the concept of how light works. No matter how technology advances in the future we will always have an upper hand if you understand how light works and use that knowledge to your advantage.

All images were photographed with a Nikon D810 with a 35mm 1.4 lens on a Gitzo tripod

If you're looking for a great tripod try to Gitzo tripod out.  I've had min for more than 25 years and it will last several life-times. 

So to answer the question of "should you use a tripod?" Well, it really depends on the images you are creating but having a good dependable tripod is a plus for sure. You don't want to get a cheap tripod to put your expensive camera on. I made this mistake as a kid and once you have a tripod break on you or fall over you'll understand the downfall of cheap tripods. A good tripod is well worth the money.

Link: Gitzo tripod

Have a great week and always dream big!