Clarke Art Consulting was honored to interview emerging photographer Jamil Smith, a native of Richmond, Virginia, currently living in Brooklyn, New York. Smith uses the camera as a tool to document the candid events of life; capturing the essence beauty and spirit in his subject matter. Smith sees through the lens what most of us aspire to envision. Clarke Art looks forward to seeing what the future holds this inspiring photographer.
Can you tell us a little about your background and what led you to become a photographer?
I was born and raised in the West End of Richmond, Virginia, Henrico County to be exact. Growing up, I was a pretty good athlete and sports was my first love. Sports became a way of expressing myself—be it happiness, strength, pride, stress, anger, passion, disappointment, sorrow. I used athletics as my vehicle to release those emotions when I knew no other medium would do.
As I got older, music became as important as sports in my life. My father wasn’t a huge fan of hip-hop [music]. But, since he would recognize some of the samples in the music, he would play records for my brother and me. What stood out to me immediately were the album covers. They were so powerful, yet simple at times. Vinyl, unlike CD’s, had one shot to draw in the viewer. My father would tell me that oftentimes it was the only image of the artist you would see unless you saw them perform in person. So [I thought], the image had to capture the artist in such a way that told a specific story that would stand out. These old vinyl albums were a sort of history lesson of the 60’s and 70’s here in the U.S. When I was old enough to buy CD’s, it was the album jacket that would determine which CD’s I would purchase. I needed to “feel” the person on that CD cover.
Looking back, the album covers of the music in my house were what really shaped my appreciation for photography. That, and my father’s never ending subscription to National Geographic.
Why did you choose the camera as a tool to express yourself?
After high school, I didn’t pursue sports in college, and struggled finding a new outlet to express myself. It was only after I began to travel outside of the country that I began to take pictures; this is how I really began to express my thoughts and feelings once again. From there, I began to see through my photos just how much I could recall the emotions I had at that exact moment, and how that image could recall that memory [to me] time and time again. From there, I very slowly began teaching myself about photography.
I began shooting because I felt a huge void. Even after I left college, I felt like the images that were relevant to me in my mind were rarely, if ever, accurately depicted in any form of media. So I wanted to express what I thought was fly, cool, stylish, beautiful, powerful and truthful to myself. I desperately needed to bring myself a small sense of sanity, so to speak. I began to shoot the nightlife—my experiences with my friends while hanging out in the city.
I often shot images of a beautiful woman, which differed greatly from that of Ebony, Jet or Vogue [magazines]. I always thought women without make-up and perms were just as beautiful as our women who graced their pages.
Do you prefer to use a film or a digital camera, and why?
I work with both film and digital; I think that they express two sides of the same coin. When I shoot, I relate my images and colors to different vibrations and music. When I shoot in digital, the feeling is very clean and reminds me of an album recorded in a studio setting. On the other hand, shooting in film is like a live concert. The energy is different and the grain picks up color in ways that many digital cameras don’t, without some editing in Photoshop, etc.
I don’t have a preference; it all depends on the subject matter and how I am feeling. I tend to lean towards film when I shoot my personal photo journals and digital when working with others for specific projects.
Are there any artists that you admire and why?
There are many artists and thinkers that inspire my photography. I gravitate towards men and women that have an acute ability to capture the collective consciousness of people. Through their vision, deeds, work and art, they each used their gifts as a tool to tell stories that represent a people that for so long had no voice of their own such as: Marcus Garvey, J. A. Rogers, Chancellor Williams, Chiek Anta Diop, Malcolm X, Bob Marley, Ali Farka Toure, Fela Kuti, Melvin Van Peebles, Spike Lee. I was exposed to many of these thinkers and artists before being introduced and greatly inspired by the works of actual photographers. With that said, my list of inspirational photographers is definitely a growing list that includes: Tony Gleaton, Steve McCurry, Jamel Shabazz and Tim Hetherington, to name a few.
Andrew Dosunmu and Patrick Cariou are two younger photographers that really inspire me to truly master the tool of photography. I met Andrew on several occasions and hope to work with him one day in the future. His work truly speaks to the voice of urban Africa in style.
Tony Gleaton is another photographer that I have spoken with several times. I admire his approach of living with his photo subjects for years as he becomes part of that community before engaging them in his craft.
What do you want to capture in a photograph?
That’s a deep question. I’m not sure there’s enough space to answer that in full, so I’ll try to be concise. I’m inspired to record the beauty within all people, regardless of their race. I listen to the soul of a person or a place and simply reflect what I feel within an image; like a mirror for them to one day see the beauty within themselves. So many people have lost their identity of themselves. I believe the feeling of recalling or redefining one’s own identity is one of the greatest feelings in life. When I see people I sense their spirit, not what is presented before me. That beauty is constantly being attacked and destroyed within people, so I try to quietly remind them of the beauty within themselves by the way in which I depict them. I try to express the same lessons that I have learned in a way that won’t require someone to read volumes and volumes of world history simply to recall that everything begins within us.
Nature is also very central to my photography. It has its own unique stories to tell the viewer through colors and textures. I am often drawn towards nature’s vast stillness and sounds. My next project is to photograph the elements such as wind, rain, and sunlight.
Can you tell us a little about your upcoming projects?
I have a few projects I will start by the summer. I plan to work with a close friend of mine, Warren Oliver, a dope graphic designer and film director, on a documentary project researching the history of African Americans and Native Americans ‘mixing’ in the counties surrounding Richmond, Virginia. I believe there are deep ties there and that history is waiting to be told. I also plan to do a follow-up project with another close friend, recording artist Paul Davis, for his upcoming album. I intend to capture the behind-the-scenes, creative process of Davis’ music. Aside from those (projects), I’m still adding piece by piece to other ongoing photo projects, Windows of Reflection and In My Thoughts, and I hope to continue traveling internationally for other projects.
All photos provided by JS Photography. Published by Clarke Art Consulting ©2010
Thank you!