Q. You seemed to have especially enjoyed
Marlee Matlin?
JMS. What makes you say that ?
I found her to be the most genuine and humble
person I may have ever met.
| John Mathew Smith |
Q. In a society where you can buy a digital camera
from any corner store, was it important to give a
historical account of Louis Daguerre and his
invention?
JMS. Good point...people do seem aware of a lot of things
that shall we say...are not essential to our lives or to how
we came to be in the place we are today. Of course what
technology we have today rests on what was done in the
past. If suppose Daguerre had not discovered a way to
permanently "fix an Image" Maybe another 60 years would
have passed before someone did. There would have been
no photographs of Lincoln, the civil war, the countless lives
of the ordinary man we would never have seen. The truth is
Daguerre suffered for years locking himself in his workroom
for days at a time to force himself to continue an endless
string of failed experiments, His wife thought him crazy.
It seemed Impossible. Thank God this stubborn man
persevered. We all owe him quite a lot. I believe it is still
ranked in the top 5 of Inventions of All Time.
Q. There's a saying that goes anyone can take a
picture but still not be a photographer, do you agree?
JMS. Well it’s true anyone can take a great photograph.
The picture of the fireman cradling the baby at the
Oklahoma City bombing...was a truly great Image, by an
amateur photog. Woody Allen said 80 percent of success in
life is being there, that’s true too. What I think a
photographer learns over time though will allow him to
perhaps take several great photographs in his lifetime
Anticipation, Never take anything for granted, but keep on.
Shooting you don’t have it yet, Choosing the right one.
Q. How large is your collection of vintage
photographs?
JMS. I guess around 400 give or take
from any corner store, was it important to give a
historical account of Louis Daguerre and his
invention?
JMS. Good point...people do seem aware of a lot of things
that shall we say...are not essential to our lives or to how
we came to be in the place we are today. Of course what
technology we have today rests on what was done in the
past. If suppose Daguerre had not discovered a way to
permanently "fix an Image" Maybe another 60 years would
have passed before someone did. There would have been
no photographs of Lincoln, the civil war, the countless lives
of the ordinary man we would never have seen. The truth is
Daguerre suffered for years locking himself in his workroom
for days at a time to force himself to continue an endless
string of failed experiments, His wife thought him crazy.
It seemed Impossible. Thank God this stubborn man
persevered. We all owe him quite a lot. I believe it is still
ranked in the top 5 of Inventions of All Time.
Q. There's a saying that goes anyone can take a
picture but still not be a photographer, do you agree?
JMS. Well it’s true anyone can take a great photograph.
The picture of the fireman cradling the baby at the
Oklahoma City bombing...was a truly great Image, by an
amateur photog. Woody Allen said 80 percent of success in
life is being there, that’s true too. What I think a
photographer learns over time though will allow him to
perhaps take several great photographs in his lifetime
Anticipation, Never take anything for granted, but keep on.
Shooting you don’t have it yet, Choosing the right one.
Q. How large is your collection of vintage
photographs?
JMS. I guess around 400 give or take
| For a brief history of Photography and a look at more of J..MS historic photos click here |
Q. How were you able to photograph 5 presidents
and first ladies?
JMS. Well I traveled to Washington a lot they're
always there somewhere.
Q. Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King?
J.M.S. I was working with the Baltimore Times a small
newspaper in Baltimore where I am from, the editor
picked me up early and I thought he had some inside
connection to get us on top the Lincoln Memorial where
all the speakers were. Well when we got there he
wanted me to take shots of the crowd...I thought I could
shoot crowds any day. I was looking for Rosa Parks.
Luckily we became lost from each other and somehow
that day.
I managed my way past security to the top of the
memorial. Really, what I remember well from that day
that I wanted to mention was standing atop the
memorial when to my left walked Mrs. Coretta Scott
King.
and first ladies?
JMS. Well I traveled to Washington a lot they're
always there somewhere.
Q. Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King?
J.M.S. I was working with the Baltimore Times a small
newspaper in Baltimore where I am from, the editor
picked me up early and I thought he had some inside
connection to get us on top the Lincoln Memorial where
all the speakers were. Well when we got there he
wanted me to take shots of the crowd...I thought I could
shoot crowds any day. I was looking for Rosa Parks.
Luckily we became lost from each other and somehow
that day.
I managed my way past security to the top of the
memorial. Really, what I remember well from that day
that I wanted to mention was standing atop the
memorial when to my left walked Mrs. Coretta Scott
King.
I literally shook....Oh my, Mrs. King...I thought I
took about a roll of film of Mrs. King...Though I
didn't speak to her, I was always shy about that
type of thing. Seemed to me if I waited there
Ms. Parks could not be far behind...and wasn’t
long and Ms. Parks appears and I snapped the
photo of her seeing the crowd from atop the
memorial. I was especially Hurt when Mrs. King
passed away. She seemed a very special
person to me I recently had a chance to
express my sympathy to Martin king (third) at
the congressional black caucus. I think of her
as a regal woman in the best sense of that
Word while being very down to earth. It is still
one of my favorite photographs and believe it
will stand the test of time as one of the best
images of Ms. Parks in her later life. of all My
images I concentrated on Mrs. King and Ms.
Parks through out my career.
took about a roll of film of Mrs. King...Though I
didn't speak to her, I was always shy about that
type of thing. Seemed to me if I waited there
Ms. Parks could not be far behind...and wasn’t
long and Ms. Parks appears and I snapped the
photo of her seeing the crowd from atop the
memorial. I was especially Hurt when Mrs. King
passed away. She seemed a very special
person to me I recently had a chance to
express my sympathy to Martin king (third) at
the congressional black caucus. I think of her
as a regal woman in the best sense of that
Word while being very down to earth. It is still
one of my favorite photographs and believe it
will stand the test of time as one of the best
images of Ms. Parks in her later life. of all My
images I concentrated on Mrs. King and Ms.
Parks through out my career.
I think of her as a regal
woman in the best sense of
that Word while being very
down to earth.
woman in the best sense of
that Word while being very
down to earth.
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Celebrating Artist & Upstarts
