Draft:Matthew Jordan Smith (Photographer)

Matthew Jordan Smith (born April 21, 1963, Brooklyn, New York) is an American photographer, author, and teacher. Residing in Tokyo, Japan, Smith has spent over 35 years in the beauty, fashion, editorial, commercial, portrait, and fine art photography fields. A Nikon Ambassador since 2016, he is best known for his portraits of celebrities, actors, and models. Smith has photographed, among others, Zendaya, Aretha Franklin, Oprah Winfrey, Angela Bassett, and Tyra Banks..

Early Life and Education
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Matthew Jordan Smith spent his early years in Brooklyn and the Bronx until moving with his family to Columbia, South Carolina, at the age of seven. Smith attended the Art Institute of Atlanta with the intention of becoming a sports photographer; however, his interests shifted when he was exposed to Vogue magazine and fashion photography. He dropped out, moved to New York City and started working as an assistant to notable fashion and beauty photographers like Neal Barr, Bruce Buck, Barbara Bordnick, and Gregory Heisler.

Editorial Work
Smith's editorial photography has been featured in major publications such as Essence, American Vogue, Black Enterprise, Ebony, El Pais Semanal.

Smith's first big break was an Anita Hill feature story "Anita Hill Talks to Us" for Essence Magazine in March 1992. Soon after, he photographed the covers for Alva Rogers (January 1993 issue) and Ta-Ning (February 1993 issue). Soon after, Smith became known as "photographer to the stars" when Essence once again hired him, this time to photograph his first celebrity Halle Berry for the June 1994 Cover, Vanessa Williams for the August 1994 Cover, and Oprah Winfrey for the May 1995 25th anniversary collector's edition Cover.

In the time since, Smith has shot more than 50 magazine covers and his work has been featured in Essence, American Vogue, Rolling Stone, O Magazine, In Style, Mademoiselle, Ebony, TV Guide, Emmy, Sports Illustrated, Heart & Soul, Working Mother, Forbes, Martha Stewart Living, IN New York Black Enterprise, Uptown, People and many more.

Olympic Commission
In 2021, Smith was commissioned by the International Olympic Committee to document life at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. He lived in the Olympic Village, capturing the human side of this global sporting event, photographing the athletes behind the scenes day-to-day lives. Smith is one of three photographers in history to be granted this level of access to the Olympic Village, and the only one commissioned to live alongside the athletes in the village for the entire duration of the Olympics. Select images can be viewed on the IOC’s Flickr Photostream, such as this image of athletes relaxing on the Olympic rings and in various articles the IOC has released, such as this one about a support program for athlete uniforms.

Commercial Photography
His commercial portfolio includes campaigns for Nikon, Olay, Pantene, Revlon, L’Oréal, Sony Entertainment, HBO, and Showtime. His work has been used for advertising campaigns, magazine covers, albums, movies and T.V., including one portrait from Waiting to Exhale, which is hanging in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Ugokugraphy
On September 1, 2020, Smith unveiled a new visual technique he has dubbed "Ugokugraphy.” He debuted this technique during his “Fluid” solo exhibit (exhibit video walkthrough) at the Kyoto Museum of Photography. The featured image at the Kyoto exhibit, featuring Zendaya, measured 46 ft. in length and 3.6 feet high and wrapped around the perimeter of the room.

Ugokugraphy, (derived from the Japanese word ugoki, for movement) is a technique that merges photography and cinema. One, continuous image is created with between 50 to several hundred exposures, seamlessly taken on film over an extended period of time. It requires both Smith and the subject to move constantly. The technique is done completely on film, with no digital manipulation. Smith’s influences for Ugokugraphy include godfather to cinema Eadweard Muybridge, chronophotography inventor Etienne-Jules Marey, Marcel Duchamp’s "Nude Descending Staircase", and Giocomo Balla’s Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash.

Awards and Honors

 * Microsoft Icons of Imaging Award (2006)
 * WPPI Vision Award (2014)
 * George Eastman Power of Image Award (2014)

Corporate Sponsorships

 * Sponsored by Microsoft: 2002 – 2009
 * Sony Sponsorship: 2009 – 2014
 * Nikon Sponsorship: 2016 - Present

Author/Photographer

 * Sepia Dreams: A Celebration of Black Achievement through Words and Images (2001) ISBN 978-0312278175
 * Lost and Found (2006, by Microsoft) ISBN 978-1599756110
 * Future American President: 50 States, 100 Families, Infinite Dreams (2014) ISBN 978-1939621146
 * Aretha Cool: The Intimate Portraits (release date March 15, 2024) Standard Edition: ISBN 979-8218278632 Limited Edition: ISBN 979-8218278649

Works that include Smith's work

 * Fine Beauty by Sam Fine (1998) ISBN 978-1573220958
 * Men of Color by Lloyd Boston (1998) ISBN 978-1579651121
 * Beauty Inside and Out by Tyra Banks (1998) ISBN 978-0060952105
 * Perfect is Boring by Tyra Banks (2018) ISBN 978-0143132301

TV Appearances
Good Day New York, The Tyra Banks Show, and BET. He was on America's Next Top Model five times as the featured photographer, including two appearances as a guest judge. He was also on Style Her Famous in 2006 with Jay Manuel of ANTM fame (Season 1: Episode 8: Eva Longoria) and Caribbean's Next Top Model

America's Next Top Model Episodes

 * [{America's Next Top Model (season 3)|Season 3]], Episode 5: The Girl Who Cries When She Looks in the Mirror
 * Season 7, Episode 5: The Girl Who Punk'd Ashton
 * Season 8, Episode 7: The Girl Who Impresses Pedro
 * Season 9, Episode 3: The Girls Who Go Rock Climbing
 * Season 20, Episode 8: The Girl Whose Walk is Too Good

Personal Life
Matthew Jordan Smith has been based in New York City, Los Angeles, and currently lives in Tokyo Japan where he lives with his Wife, Maki Smith.