Interview with Photographer Matthew Jordan Smith

Last week, Sarah and I were in Banff to attend the Canadian Imaging Conference and Tradeshow. This was the National convention for the Professional Photographers of Canada and this year Alberta was the host province for the event. I’ve been a member of the PPOC for three years and attended many of the provincial conferences and local meetings but this was our first time attending the National Convention. The conference was held at the majestic Banff Springs Hotel and featured 5 days jam-packed with speakers and presentations from a wide range of professional photographers and business professionals. Speakers included a broad spectrum of photographers ranging from wedding photographers and commercial photographers to portrait photographers and digital artists. In addition to the speakers and classes offered during the event, there was also a trade show featuring a variety of vendors showing off their products. It was a great opportunity to check out the latest photography gear as well as get our hands on a variety of photography products to offer to our clients. The event was also a great opportunity to network and socialize with other professional photographers from across Canada and around the world.

While I was there, I took the opportunity to record some interviews for the This Week in Photo podcast. My first interview was with the very talented photographer to the stars – Matthew Jordan Smith. Originally from New York, Mr. Smith now resides in LA and some of his clients include companies such as Pantene, Olay, L’Oreal as well as A-list celebrities such as Oprah, Vanessa Williams, Halle Berry, Brittany Spears, Jamie Foxx, Gregory Hines, Aretha Franklin, and Christian Slater just to name a few. He has appeared on The Tyra Banks Show, E! Entertainment, America’s Next Top Model and Good Day New York. We sat down to chat about his career as a photographer, how he got his start in photography, what inspires him, the importance of mastering one light, and dreaming big. Click on the audio player above to listen to the complete interview. Below are a couple of photographs we took after the interview. For more information, be sure to visit Matthew’s website and follow him on Twitter @matthew_jordans