To describe fellow Nikon Ambassador Matthew Jordan Smith as a preeminent studio and beauty photographer is an over simplified description. Matthew represents a standard of excellence—of craft, passion, and humanity behind the lens, coupled with his legendary sense of style and beauty. His level of talent and accomplishment is rare indeed.
We sat down for a conversation recently to simply talk some shop, get caught up, and, more specifically, to dive into his new book, Aretha Cool. It’s an intimate glimpse of the iconic singer’s final years of her life, both on and off the stage. The photography on these pages is infused with a warmth and closeness that reflect Matthew’s friendship with the singer, and how close they became in her later years.
In some ways, it’s a continuation of a theme that he beautifully photographed and wrote about in his seminal book, Sepia Dreams, which is a celebration of black achievement in the realm of art, sports, entertainment, and culture. When he and Aretha were getting to know one another, he sent her the book, and she called him and said, “Jordan, why am I not in this book?!” Aretha was a star in every sense of the word, and not shy about stating her wishes!
A relationship was born and grew over time, becoming more and more personal along the way. It is a wonderful journey he leads us through, via words and pictures.
It’s a congenial conversation, touching on many things—photography, longevity of a career, the importance of staying relevant, and how being black played a significant role in his career. It opened certain doors; to be sure (he shot more covers of Essence magazine than anyone) but it shut others.
We talk, we ramble, we laugh, all from a wonderful place of mutual respect. It’s worth a listen.
The post Aretha Cool – A Book by Matthew Jordan Smith appeared first on Joe McNally Photography.