Technology has made it possible for anyone to seem like they possess a high level of photographic ability. Between cameras that do the thinking for the user, and user-friendly apps that can reduce or even eliminate most errors and leave the user with a professional-looking finished product, it’s easy to forget that photography is more than just taking pictures: It’s art.
A photographer who crosses over into the realm of art, Matthew Jordan Smith took up residence here in Japan six years ago. His resume of celebrity portraits reads like the red carpet roll call at a Hollywood bash: Aretha Franklin, Oprah Winfrey, Queen Latifah and Zendaya, to name a few.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, the 58-year-old Smith found his way to Tokyo in part thanks to his now wife, Maki. The couple met in the 1990s but didn’t start dating until 2014. Two years later they were married.