On the Set with Taye Diggs and Michael Michele

Setting the mood of the shoot starts long before your subjects and clients enter the studio. I believe it's essential to have the right atmosphere and energy in the studio, room or location where you are shooting and I do everything I can to stack the odds in my favor. One thing I do on most of my shoots is to send my female subjects flowers with a little note saying, "here's to a great shoot"! When possible, I try to have the flowers waiting in the hair and makeup room when they walk into studio since this is where they will spend the largest part of the morning before the shoot.

As my subject are in hair and makeup my crew has the perfect music, mixed just for the shoot playing throughout the day. There is music for the pre-shoot while everyone is having their coffee and breakfast and then there is music for the actual shoot. Both are very different and sets the tone for the day and fills the studio or space with my energy.

The images here are from a shoot a few years ago with Taye Diggs and Michael Michele and were shot for a cover story. As always I had multiple cameras on the set. My assistants put together several sets and tested each while my subjects were in hair and makeup. As I shot I had my reference material close by so I could guide my subjects throughout the shoot. I've known Michael since the 80's back when she was a model and I was a photo assistant. I've known Taye since my first book when I interviewed and photographed him for Sepia Dreams, so it was a reunion of sorts to work with them again. Both are great people with charming personalities so it made for a great day.

I shot with different light setups throughout the day for different looks for the cover and inside story of the magazine. The cover was shot with strobe, but the inside images I wanted a looser feel so I decided to shoot with HMI lights and hand hold a lighter camera for a more spontaneous look. At times it's great to have the camera on a tripod but if I want more freedom I'll hand hold the camera and use lights that give me freedom of movement as well.

Always Dream Big!

Opening Night_ NYC Sony Photo Exhibit

If you want to show your work to the world have an exhibit. Everyone loves to be invited to special events and there is nothing more exciting than being invited to an opening exhibit in New York City. Last weeks opening to the Sony photo exhibit was an amazing experience in every way. The exhibit took place in the art district at the Aperture Gallery on 27th street in New York City. The show is up until the 30th of this month so if you get a chance please check it out.

I was so happy to have my girl with me to experience opening night in true New York fashion, but nothing could have prepared me for what we saw as we approached the gallery. There in front of the gallery, to my surprise, was a giant poster of my butterfly shot. I had no idea they were using my image this way and I was elated beyond belief. The surprised continued as we entered the space to find two more images introducing the exhibit. It was a wonderful surprise and I can only say 'Thank You" to Sony!

Shortly after the show opened the gallery became packed with editors, photographers, art buyers, agents and more as people gathered to enjoy the night. At one point they stopped letting people in and some of my friends could not get in. It was a wonderful night and an great reminder of the best way to promote your work. There are many secrets to promoting yourself as a photographer and having an exhibit is on the top of the list.

If you're a bit fearful of having your first exhibit let me leave you with a few words my friend Scott Robert Lim say's. "Fear, risk and growth go together like burgers, fries and coke".

DREAM BIG!

Faster and Faster

Two years ago I went to a photography summit in Seattle, WA. hosted by The Microsoft Corporation. The best minds of the photography world were invited to attend and discuss the future of photography. The CTO (Chief Technical Officer) of Microsoft was the opening speaker and came to the stage with a Kindle in his hands. He started the summit by speaking about the last 50 years of technology. In the last fifty years we have witnessed microwaves, jet airliners, TV remote controls, communication satellite's, digital music, put a man on the moon and lets not forget the internet. All of this and more happened in the last fifty years. The CTO of Microsoft went on to say that the next five years will bring more change than we've seen in the last fifty years!

"The next five years will bring more change than we've seen in the last fifty"!

I am now seeing evidence of this all around me. Final Cut Pro will soon be as much a part of our lives as Photoshop is now. Last week I was in New York City for Photo Expo and all around me I could feel change happening in our industry. Some have voiced their fears and concerns about the Red Camera changing the landscape of photography yet again, as the convergence of still and video makes its way into our lives. I believe no matter what technology comes our way we will still need to have a creative mind and eye to excel. I hope technology never takes away the ability for photographers to capture the image in our minds because that image is the true beauty of photography. I think it is important that we all embrace technology and open our minds to new ways of evolving as visual artist, because those who do will excel and prosper.

I must admit I was very slow to embrace digital at first, but once technology is unleashed to the world there is no turning back even if the technology before was better. Quality will not always win the race when paired against speed and ease of use.

Dream bigger! Change is not around the corner, it's here!

Face to Face: The Business of Beauty and Beyond

Next week is Photo Week in New York City and On Wednesday, October 21st from 5:30 - 7:30 I will be speaking in at Adorama. The event is sponsored by Sony and will be a great evening to come out and be inspired, learn a few secrets, and get away from your computers and meet other like minded photographers.

To sign up for the event please go to the following link: http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=WS_MJSmith_102109

I look forward to seeing you in New York City.

Always Dream Big

Exhibit in New York City: Opening Night

Thursday, October 22nd 2009 I will be part of an exhibit sponsored by Sony at the Aperture Gallery in New York City. If you would like to attend the opening reception simply RSVP and bring your smile. The exhibit will run from the 22nd -30th of October, so please stop by if you are in the area. The gallery is located at 547 West 27th Street, 4th Floor between 10th and 11th avenue. I hope to see you all there!

RSVP to: RSVP@bonniercorp.com

Always Dream Big!

Dream Big!

At times I have been asked why I always end my blog with "Always Dream Big". The reason I believe it is important to dream big is simple. Once you open your mind to the universe to dreaming about the most impossible things possible, the universe opens up and showers you with things beyond your wildest dreams. I hope in time I can share more of how this has helped shape my life.

At this moment, we are in the worst recession many of us have ever lived through. My business is down 75% from previous years, but still I say dream big. I am not saying it is easy but it is not supposed to be easy. The road to success is paved with bricks of failure and actually little amounts of failure fuel our success.

The past week was filled with a bit of failure for me. I took two portfolio's to perspective clients and both had the portfolio's for over a week. When I picked out both books, one had not been even opened and the other client said my work was more than they need from a photographer. The week continued like this, but still I say dream big, dream big. In hard times, dream big.

Imagine your wildest dreams coming to life. Forget if it is possible or not or if it has never been done before. Let your imagination run wild. We are in the midst of an abundance of change all around us and it is happening faster than change has happened before. During these times of change the impossible will become reality and those who are dreaming big will prosper. The publishing world is in a very bad place and magazines are folding left and right, but maybe the future holds a new form of magazines. Maybe in the future we will open a magazine and see pages that move in front of our eyes. Imagine a digital magazine and all the possibilities this could lead to for photographers of visual artist!

Dream big and do not put yourself in a box by confining yourself to a title. You are more than just a photographer, or a student, or a nurse, or lawyer, or whatever. You are powerful beyond your wildest dreams.

DREAM BIG!

Irving Penn-R.I.P.

We have lost another great photographer. Irving Penn has long been one of my favorite photographer and currently has a exhibit of his work showing in Los Angeles at the Getty. I have spoken about going to see the show for weeks but have not made it yet, however now I will make time this weekend to view the work of yet another master photographer.

I never met Irving Penn, but he had a big impact on my lighting. I worked as an assistant back in the 80's with Neal Barr and Neal was a long time Irving Penn assistant. Neal Barr taught me more about lighting in one year than than I have ever learned anywhere else. I learned how to see light while assisting him and learned how to use one single light effectively. Recently during my seminar in Italy I spoke about Neal and Irving Penn's work and I it influenced my work. I was sad to hear that Irving Penn passed away but he lived a great life and died at 92. It seems when you do what you love for a living you get to live a long life. Irving Penn lived until he was 92, and Gordon Parks was 94 when he left us, but both men loved their craft and practiced until their deaths.

If you have an opportunity please see the works of Irving Penn and then go out and photograph something you love!

Always dream big!

Matthew

LA to NYC

I love the flights between Los Angeles to New York as they the only flights I can take and get on the internet while in flight.  At the moment I am traveling to New York for an assignment which shoots tomorrow, Monday the 5th and then I return home to L.A. on the 6th.  I am now over my jet lag from the Italy trip and ready for the next adventure.  This month is Photo Expo and I will be back in New York again in a few weeks for Sony.  It's been a while since I've been in the Big Apple and I'm looking forward to these two trips to my home town.

Once I return Los Angeles it's back to the work of getting work.  I have two portfolio's out at the moment with potential clients and a meeting Wednesday morning with a potential client I've been trying to meet for months.  I've spent the last month pushing the promotion and doing the phone calls to potential clients in between my shooting, speaking and exhibits.  It's very slow in the industry on all fronts, but there is work and I believe those who are diligent will be successful.   

I receive a lot of email in regard to classes and speaking and for this reason I am putting together a series of workshops that will kick off next year.  Starting in 2010 I will give 4 weekend workshops from Los Angeles.  Please let me know your interest and what you'd like to learn during my workshops.  

Shot what you love and always dream big!

Matthew

(Somewhere between Los Angeles and New York) 

Italian Family Dinner

There is nothing quite as nice as a family dinner, except for maybe an Italian family dinner. The night of September nineteenth, I was taken to a family dinner at an incredible house just outside Verona, Italy. In America I often find myself amazed to see a structure from the 40’s or 50’s, but in Italy I have been to several homes that have been around since the 17th or 18^th century. Tonight’s dinner was in such a home and it was filled with an old world charm that I’ve yet to experience.

The dinner hosts were very gracious and welcomed me with open arms. As the night went on I photographed the evening with my Sony A900 and a 35mm lens using only available light, something I love doing these days as it is less intrusive than having a flash disrupt the mood of the evening. I took the ISO up to 1600 and shot wide open at F 1.4 the entire evening.

It was a wonderful evening filled with laughter, great food, incredible wine and new friendships. Dinner was served in the kitchen on a long beautiful table and several people helped cook the meal as we talked and got to know each other. My Italian is quite bad but one of the guest only spoke to me in Italian and surprisingly I understood him. We all laughed as I learned more and more throughout the evening. Allora! It was a night I will never forget and could only have been better if my girlfriend has been along with me as she also enjoys evenings like this as well. The evening ended with my staying at another amazing Italian home. Now I understand why George Clooney has a home in Italy.

Thanks to my wonderful hosts Maurizio and Elizabetta! I hope to see you soon.

Always Dream Big