'Capture the person, not the façade'

It's impossible not to raise your eyebrows when you read a bio for Brian Smith. Won a Pulitzer at 25, told Bill Gates exactly what to do for an entire hour, appeared on The X Factor, exhibited at the Library of Congress, dined with a President, hung out with Richard Branson on Necker Island, had a little too much to drink with George Clooney, shared cupcakes with Anne Hathaway. I see your eyebrows now mirror mine.
The Florida-based photographer is clearly no stranger to the spotlight - or to the people who live their lives in it. But while Brian has spent the last 30 years creating iconic portraits of the rich and the famous - from Hollywood newsmakers to high-profile athletes and business magnates - what he is still best known for is that unprecedented Pulitzer win at the age of 25 for his coverage of the 1984 Olympics published in the California-based Orange County Register.
A fantastic underdog story that we will return to in just a bit, Brian - speaking by telephone from his home in Miami Beach - notes the prize wasn't really on his radar when he first took on the daunting assignment. "The goal was to be able to photograph an event like the Olympics, and the experience exceeded all my expectations. The Pulitzer was a nice bonus that we could not have anticipated - but which made the assignment that much sweeter."
It was a win that, no doubt, greatly impacted Brian's career prospects, going forward - but we were more curious about whether it changed his own perspective of himself. A Pulitzer at 25 is pretty head-turning stuff, after all. "I don't think it's possible to experience something like that without raising your own expectations," reflects the 58-year-old, honestly. "In a way, achieving something you never expected always raises the bar on what you hope to accomplish in the future."
In the immediate aftermath of the win, Brian didn't seek to jump ship, staying with the Register for another year - till an offer came through from another newspaper that he just couldn't refuse. "International travel wasn't possible at the Register, as their emphasis was on covering the local area. So, when the Miami Herald dangled the offer of international travel, I couldn't pass up the chance to expand on what I'd already done - with something that I wouldn't have gotten the chance to do otherwise." At the Miami Herald, Brian got "invaluable opportunities" to travel for stories - such as "going down to cover Haiti every time things blew up there" politically, during the Jean-Claude Duvalier administration, including the night the "Baby Doc" President fled the country after an uprising ousted him in 1986.
During this time, he also took on several portrait assignments for publications like Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone, who would commission him to photograph celebrities. As that body of work grew, it became clear to Brian that he was going to have to choose one over the other. "I realised that my love was for the times I could sit down with a person and photograph them, as opposed to doing so from across the field or stage. I loved the interaction that came with getting to know someone - whether in 30 minutes or an hour - and telling their story through a photograph."
That idea is exactly what Brian tries to model his personal style on. "The biggest compliment I've ever had was from [The Sopranos actor] Tim Daly, who looked at his picture and said, 'I wasn't expecting to see who I really am, instead of the persona I try to show off.' I think that's key for the photographer: capturing the person, not the façade."
But if you've ever networked with strangers, you know that's easier said than done. "It does take a while to get through to the person," Brian agrees. "And you don't always have the [luxury of] time. But the idea is to come up with an image that catches the reader's eye - very much like what writers try to do in a thousand words."
Making the connection with your subjects is pivotal - something he shares in his book titled Secrets of Great Portrait Photography. "People get really caught up with aperture and shutter speed - and those things have very little to do with what makes a great portrait," says Brian.

IN FOCUS: (left to right) Richard Branson, William H Macy, Taraji P Henson
The lensman likes to "have a lot of fun" on shoots - and it shows. Whether it's David Guetta channelling his Titanic best on a penthouse suite rooftop, Taraji P Henson in a moment of great humour, or Samuel L Jackson looking almost demure, these shots are clearly the result of people put at ease. Are the stars always who they seem to be on screen? "It really varies," says Brian, who'd love to add a shoot with Halle Berry to his impressive portfolio someday. "Some people are exactly who you'd expect them to be. With [American comedian] Tracy Morgan, for instance, the funny guy you see on TV is exactly how Tracy talks in real life; it's delightful. Anne [Hathaway] is one of the nicest people we've ever photographed; she brought cupcakes for our crew. Sometimes, you expect certain stars to be somewhat aloof - but they're actually really down-to-earth, and it's very refreshing."
Perhaps the celebrity that surprised Brian the most was Gene Hackman. "People always think he must be this really intense guy -because of his 'tough guy' roles - but he's the sweetest, most gentle and generous guy you'll ever meet. And that's actually a sign of a great actor in a way - someone who can project that kind of persona on screen, even though they're a teddy bear in real life!"
Does he not find shooting the stars intimidating or overwhelming in any way? "Oh, absolutely," shares Brian, candidly. "That's one of the toughest things, because you're often on very limited time. Sometimes, even if we've got half an hour with them, they might be in hair and makeup for 25 minutes and then you have five minutes in which to do a shoot! I was always intimidated by how to get it right. I'd be sleepless the night before."
This was perhaps never more pronounced than when Brian was shooting for his 2011 coffee-table book Art and Soul, for which he photographed 123 artists from the entertainment industry with the goal of promoting the arts. "We photographed so many people - at times, more than 20 a day - that I'd sometimes have anywhere from five to 15 minutes with them before the next star would come in. I didn't have time to overthink things or worry about what I was going to do... It became very liberating in that it was all about the moment we had together and how those people felt for those few minutes about what we were trying to do." The experience was one that has since allowed him to relax far more when photographing big stars. "I still have all kinds of possibilities running through my mind before a shoot," he says. "But I think it's also great to feel free enough to be in the moment and, if a better opportunity presents itself than what you'd planned, to go for that."
In hindsight, it was the same formula that won the lensman's reportage of the Olympics such recognition. Brian was one of three photographers from the Orange County Register sent to cover the sporting event - sorely limited resources, considering newspaper heavyweights like the Los Angeles Times had 28 people on the ground. Brian credits his team's success to his director of photography, who, "like a great coach in a football game", put together a great game plan. "He told us there was no way we'd be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our rivals in every situation and come away with as many vantage points as they had. So, he said: don't play safe. Swing for the fences, take risks and follow your instincts; look for a vantage point that no one else is after and it may pay off."
And that's what Brian did, shunning the designated photographer's pit for the grandstands, the poolside spot for one up in the cheap seats. When a better opportunity presented itself - he took it. "To our director's credit, a lot of people say they want you to hit a home run - but don't back you when it doesn't pay off. He had our back, and that knowledge made all the difference in the world."
Not going for the safe shot is a lesson Brian carries with him to this day. "I cover the expected pictures first, but after that, I try to come away with a shot that makes me happy, that may not be the safe bet - but is definitely the more interesting photo. That's a principle that can apply to a lot of things beyond photography," he adds, encouraging one to not just 'fulfil the assignment' - but to take it further, and come away with "what they maybe forgot to ask for but were ultimately looking for".
While he has had experiences to rival that of his Olympics feat ("spending a day with Richard Branson on his private island to photograph him for Time magazine is one I'll never forget!"), Brian admits he doesn't think any have surpassed it so far - and that's not necessarily a bad thing. "I've had a lot of experiences that have been totally different and hard to beat in their own way. I think, ultimately, that's the best you can hope for in whatever you're doing: a number of experiences that stand out for different reasons, instead of reliving the same thing... Take it up a notch; find something new and fresh that elevates what you're doing."
As for the current point-and-shoot culture, Brian surprisingly doesn't jump on the bash-'em-up bandwagon, offering a very measured response instead. "In a lot of ways, it's really exciting, because photography has never been as accessible to people as it is today. More photographs are taken in a year now than have been in the history of pre-cellphone cameras! Of course, more bad photographs are taken now too - but people also learn more now. With digital cameras, you can see the results and adjust images immediately. That's a very good thing, as long as you take that feedback and use it to create good photos."
You would think that someone with Brian's credentials and experience might be inclined to a certain degree of self-importance - but our conversation put him across as a very accessible person who has no qualms about sharing his 'secrets' to success. Brian will be speaking at Gulf Photo Week, where he will be taking workshops on portrait photography and retouching images. "I spent a very brief couple of days in Dubai two years ago, so I'm really happy to be part of the event this year. Forty-eight hours was not enough time in Dubai - and I look forward to doing it justice this time!"
CATCH BRIAN SMITH AT GPP
Brian will be hosting three workshops between Feb 8-12, as well as speaking at SONY PhotoFriday on Friday, Feb 9, between 4.30-6pm. For more info and to register, visit www.gulfphotoplus.com.
karen@khaleejtimes.com