Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

Matthew Jordan Smith

Commercial Photographer at Matthew Jordan Smith Photography
Matthew is a Nikon Ambassador best known for his celebrity portraits. He is the host of the Master Your Lens podcast and author of several books, including his latest, Future American President.

Latest posts by Matthew Jordan Smith (see all)

Quick Tip: A Free Way To Create Powerful Images

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The old saying, "the early bird gets the worm" is not only true in life it's true in photography as well. One way to improve your photography is to take pictures during the time of day when the light is most beautiful. Over the years, I have learned that the hour right before sunrise is one of those magical times. Sunset / Sunrise Most of us love capturing a beautiful sunset right before the sun disappears from the sky, but watching the sun come up in the morning also offers incredible moments to create powerful images. To capture your … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: A Free Way To Create Powerful Images

Do you love photography more than good food?

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This morning I woke up and had to share this with you right away. If you love photography more than you love good food then you're going to love this. There's a FREE 3-part photography training series that starts today, May24th, 2016 and ends the day after Labor Day. It's not every day we get to learn something valuable and free without putting in a lot of time and effort. I've personally been to five different seminars and workshops this year already and for each one, I had to fly, stay in a hotel, and eat out for every meal. The FREE … [Read more...] about Do you love photography more than good food?

How To Take Better Sunset Pictures

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The other day I went to the beach with the idea of taking pictures at sunset. When I arrived at the beach the sky was covered with clouds that seemed to grow larger and darker by the second. At first, I started to grab all my marbles, turn around and head home to wait for another day but something told me to stay and wait a while. I pulled out my camera and tripod and began to set up when a guy walked up to me and said, "I don't think we are going to get a sunset today." He was also planning on taking pictures of the sunset that evening but had … [Read more...] about How To Take Better Sunset Pictures

The Value of Relationships

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Guest post by Matthew Jordan Smith There are only three things in life than can really enhance your life. 1) The people you know 2) The places you go 3) The books you read Today I want to show how the people you know can help your photography career to grow by leaps and bounds. 1994, I was hired to photograph Vanessa Williams for the first time. Before the shoot I was very nervous as it was one of my first celebrity covers. Before the shoot I did ton's of research on her and worked on my concept for the cover. She was in a … [Read more...] about The Value of Relationships

How To Take Photographs On Cloudy Days

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Guest post by Matthew Jordan Smith - This week I had an assignment to photograph a jewelry assignment that required using models on location. My client was on a tight deadline and had to shoot right away. The concept required shooting outside and we agreed on a great beach location. The day of the shoot the weather forecast was partly cloudy with a 10 percent chance rain, however when we arrived at the location I knew I was in for a difficult shoot. Who said it never rains in Southern California. The entire day I was plagued with brief … [Read more...] about How To Take Photographs On Cloudy Days