M14 Final 1

Austin Albrecht

Final

Patrick Smith 

Exclusive Interview With Patrick Smith!!!!!

Patrick Smith
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Patrick Smith had one bias over anything else and that had to be sports. This man captured incredible moments in so many different sports ranging from cricket to hockey to the American Football. He traveled all over the world capturing breathtaking pictures that help build his business and reputation as being one of the best sports photographers. It seems to me that boxing was a huge attraction that he like to take pictures of, and did he ever capture some really fascinating pictures. Patrick’s most famous picture of boxing has to come from January 2014 when he captured boxer Gabriel Rosado bleeding from his eye mid match. This picture of Gabriel staring off as he focused on the match portrays the sheer strength and courage it takes to be a professional boxer.


I think that Patrick Smiths pictures affected the business and photojournalism as a whole as being able to take in moment pictures of athletes competing at the highest levels. There are so many professional photographers that take pictures of sports, but something that Patrick does to capture these sets him apart from his competitors. It’s the importance of the pictures to be able to relay to society to show the in depth look at what it really is like to get punched in the face, or to score a soccer goal in front of 100,000 fans or to be able to capture the moment of a football player praying before a game. His pictures showed society what it really means to be an athlete and everything that goes into being a pro.



Obviously, the clear correlation between me and Patrick Smith has to do with Sports. He takes pictures of sports as I play them. It’s really interesting to see all of the pictures that he has taken, and it really inspires me and intrigues me. I really think that I find his pictures more interesting than the normal person or a person that is not very big into sports. I know how hard it is to compete at a high level so I can relate to these pictures a bit more than someone else. Patrick’s work is just fascinating, and I really appreciate how he is able to capture all of these wonderful sports moments, so people are able to see the game differently. I plan on doing something that involves sports when I am done with my career or here at AIC. I don’t know what my career path will lead to but it has to do with sports so that is definitely one thing we have in common.

Patrick Smith
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Everyone will have their own opinion on Patrick Smith and his legacy. A lot of people look up to him because he is very dedicated about learning about his craft. Dedicated to having other people learn about his work and loves to see other people succeed. He knows that he is in this business for his own living and for himself, but he loves to see other people learn more about photography and if anyone needs a helping hand or questions about his profession, he is always there to lend a helping hand.



There are so many different pictures and style of pictures that Patrick has captured of all his different sports and things that he has been a part of for many years. He doesn’t just inspire to take pictures of sports as he is a lot of the times taking pictures of his personal life as well. He also likes to take pictures of high school and smaller colleges instead of the big leagues all of the time. Quality of light, in or out of focus, texture, and subjects expression are four principles to when assessing his photographs.


Patrick Smith is a staffed photographer with Getty Images, based in Baltimore, Maryland. His ionic photographs have been distributed through popular magazines, websites, professional sports leagues, major brands and other media outlets worldwide. His photographs have been published by Getty Images, ESPN, New York Times, The Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, CNN, FIFA, Ironman, National Hockey League, NASCAR, MLB and many more. Being a Baltimore native, he has traveled extensively around the globe to capture his captivating images (https://www.patricksmithphotos.com/about/index). Patrick described how the start of his career stemmed from his love for athletics, most importantly, the competitive nature of athletics. After high school he stopped playing sports, and turned to videography. He learned quickly however that videography was not his passion, and began putting all his time into photography. He combined his love for sports and his love for photography and found his true passion. A highlight of his career came when he was named the photographer of the year by the White House News Photographers Association, or WHNPA. He stated, “It’s an honor to be recognized by the WHNPA…Of all the images, I am most proud of the moments I documented during the Penn State scandal.” He went on to discuss how even though he did not capture the moments while the statue of Joe Paterno was coming down, he was able to capture the moments following. He feels as though the image he did capture “…entire story of the scandal: what was left, how the community felt and how they reacted.”

Patrick Smith
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Era: Photojournalism began as war photography, and since has spread to cover many other newsworthy events such as sports and political elections. As society shifted from magazines and printed photographs, the photojournalists adapted as well . Some view social media as a negative in regard to photojournalism, however, if used correctly it can truly enhance the field. Smith explains that he not only utilizes social media to market himself, but also to keep his ‘creative blood flowing’. He talks about how he was not a fan of Instagram at first, however now enjoys snapping fun pictures every day. He is able to have fun with his photography and challenge himself daily to find a new muse, or a new idea. The present-day era for photojournalism is much different than it used to be, but it is by no means any lesser of a profession than it was before. Beyond even the use of social media; nowadays, photojournalists are able to send their work out in seconds. This makes it much easier for a freelancer to get their work out.



Motivated: Patrick Smith has a knack for competition. He was an athlete through high school and found that same challenge sports gave him in photography. He explains how photography is very competitive, not only with others, but with yourself as well. Smith finds motivation in his personal drive to continuously create better work each day. He explained that, “All I ask for is to be healthy and have a new photographic challenge every day.” Furthermore, Smith finds motivation in his peers and mentors. He takes pride in his work and wants to do well for those around him who support him.

Patrick Smith
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Technology: When asked in an interview what his typical setup is when in the field shooting, Smith responded saying, “To start, I am a Nikon shooter.” He went on to explain that his ‘daily kit’ consists of: two Nikon D4 camera bodies, a Nikon 24-70 mm f/2.8 and a Nikon 70-200 f/2.8. He justified his choice in equipment with the fact that it is very versatile and he doesn’t need to carry anything extra around. Smith went on to state, “I like working light.”  His ‘go-to’ cameras are known for there “improved high-speed, multifunctional”, the ability to “focus in low-light situations” and the “High-speed continuous shooting.” 


Ethics: As with any photojournalist, Patrick Smith has been caught in ethical dilemmas. As a photojournalist, he is striving to get that perfect picture, that perfect story. However, as for any photojournalist, there is a fine line between capturing the perfect moment and keeping their morals at heart. AS much as one may want to get the perfect picture, and give the media what they want to see, it may be damaging to others. An example is the Joe Paterno scandal. As much as society wanted the intense pictures of the statue being torn down, Smith opted out and instead put his focus on the reaction of the people present for the event and the aftermath. He did not want to capture the images of the man’s life crashing down, but rather captured the reactions that followed to tell the story of how the community felt.

Patrick Smith
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