Matthew Jordan Smith Shares the Setup and Story Behind His Timeless Portrait of Tyra Banks

Los Angeles-based photographer Matthew Jordan Smith has long been photographing some of the best known celebrities. In this video, Smith retells the story of one of his most timeless images, a headshot of Tyra Banks captured using only a simple ring flash.

In the Profoto US video, Smith recounts almost every detail of the photo shoot that lead to this image.

Screen Shot 2014-11-02 at 2.25.59 PM

He begins by explaining the lighting setup — a single ring flash in front and black fill cards on the left and right to stop any light from bouncing around unwarranted — before diving into the details of Tyra’s positioning and how he went about the shoot to ensure the consistent flash didn’t wear out her eyes.

Before closing, Smith highlights just what it is about this image that makes it timeless — one that truly stands out from his portfolio among the rest. Both informative and full of insight into the process of portrait taking, the video makes for a solid Sunday watch.

Discussion