design buzz

text MAVIS ang

photos Rodney Smith
and Fost Gallery

The models in your photographs

are always impeccably dressed.
Is fashion an important element
in your work?

uiet yet dramatic, elegant yet

whimsical, the distinct style of 65-yearold American photographer Rodney
Smith has been adored by both the magazine
industry and art scene for decades. Despite
shooting almost exclusively black and white
images, he has had an illustrious 40-year career,
photographing everyone from CEOs to Haitian
blue-collar workers. His editorial work has graced
the pages of Time magazine and The New York
Times, and corporations such as BMW and Heinz
have enlisted his help with their ad campaigns.
Find out how Rodney creates his art, discover
his love of timeless beauty, and learn why he still
enjoys taking up magazine assignments despite
being an established artist.

Give us an idea of how each photograph

is composed?

g
n
i
k
e
e
s our

d
n
e
Spl

Home & Decor caught up with legendary American

photographer Rodney Smith to learn what it takes
to create timeless images.

A candid self-portrait
by Rodney Smith
(pictured in the polaroid),
who was recently in
town for his inaugural
exhibition.

It may surprise you, but the pictures, which

may look conceived and quiet, are actually very
spontaneously captured. I dont really know Im
going to take that picture until a minute or two
before I push the shutter button. On location,
an idea will come to me, and Ill tell the models
to do this and that; Ill shoot a couple of frames,
and itll be over. Its done very quickly and
impulsively. I trust my instincts.
There is, however, a tremendous amount of
work that goes into preparing for the pictures.
It takes me days and days to find a location
thats the hardest part of my work. I also have
a crew that helps me out at the shoot, including
stylists and hair and makeup people.

My father was in the fashion business, so

it isnt surprising that I have a certain interest
in beauty and style. But my interest isnt
about current fashion its more about
timeless grace, beauty, and elegance. People
can look at my pictures, and they dont know
when theyre shot. The clothes are in fashion,
but my works are not all about fashion.
Timelessness is very characteristic of my
pictures. Not that I make an effort (to make
it so), but Im always attracted to that. For
example, the locations I choose generally
have a lot of history, be they old gardens
or buildings. And the models that I like
shooting are classic-looking people. Im very
drawn to eastern European women.
People use terms such as landscape,
architecture, and still-life photographer, but
I just think of myself as a photographer.

What are some of the most common

reactions to your photographs?
People tell me my pictures all have a story.
Im not aware of that when Im shooting them,
but I hear that over and over again. People
also never forget them. Being bombarded with
thousands of images every day, the fact that
somebody remembers a picture is a strong
testament to its quality.

Why do you prefer to use natural light,

even for interior shots?

58

Although artificial light is very good at

providing the quantity of light, its missing the
complexity that real experiences offer.
Most interior photographers light every
corner of the space. But when a person walks
into an interior space, he or she sees that
space very differently than if its illuminated for
a magazine. So, I try not to use artificial light
to illuminate more than what was there.

What was it like for photographers

back in the 70s, when you were just
starting out?
Back then, most people were reluctant to
consider photography a legitimate art form.
There were few opportunities for black-andwhite photographers to make a living. Back
then, one became a photographer not with the
intention of enjoying fame, fortune, or glory
you did it because you loved the medium.

What do you enjoy most about being

a photographer?
Seeing a picture Ive taken hanging in a
persons home would probably be the biggest
honour more than it being in a magazine.
And I love creating the actual photograph.
The attention to detail in making the print, the
tonality of the print all the elements of the
physical print are really important to me.

Rodney Smith on
Barbara Barry
When renowned American designer Barbara
Barry first laid eyes on one of Rodney Smiths
works, she immediately asked to acquire it.
The serenity and gentleness found in Rodneys
photographs parallel her elegant, classic
furniture and interior design, so it was no
surprise that she chose him to shoot a series of
images for her brands ad campaign. Rodney
says: She was a very good client as she really
trusted me. And I thought it was more surreal
to put her furniture pieces outdoors for the
photographs. It was a little more unexpected.
Rodney Smiths photographs for Barbara
Barry are available at Proof Living, #04-16
Ion Orchard.

Tell us more about your current projects.

I still shoot for magazines as the assignments I get are so openended that I could pretty much do anything I wanted to. The
cost of making some of these pictures can be quite high, even
though they look so simple. Magazines give me the freedom to
shoot my pictures, but theyll help with the cost.

Any plans to shoot in Asia?

Yes! In fact Im interested in shooting in Japan, especially Kyoto
and Cambodia. Ive seen some of the big cities in Asia, but Im
interested in whats outside of it.

Any advice for budding photographers?

Its a difficult time to be a photographer, but your best chance
at being successful is to have your own style. Not to follow
somebody else, but to find out who you are. And thats a long,
hard road, because you have to look into your heart and soul.
With photography, the skill or talent thats required is to
know thyself. Theres a saying that goes: The skill of his hands
cant make up for the emptiness of his heart. You have to
have both.

59

Fall in love with Rodney Smiths works at the Surreal Reality

exhibition at Fost Gallery, #01-02 Gillman Barracks.The show
runs until Jan 5, 2014.