DVSmith

I'm a 33-year-old former-professional photographer/former-national security analyst, currently serving as an Assistant Director for International Studies at a top-tier research University.

I've photographed everything from collegiate sports to auto racing, aviation to military exercises, landscapes to architecture, fashion to political events.

Photography is no longer my profession (in fact, I don't make a dime off of it, these days), but it is a passion, with the fine art nude being a primary focus. (Yes, I do make photographs of people wearing clothes, too, if the nude isn't your cup o' tea.)

thePhotosmith.com | flickr (18+) | flickr (G-rated) | tumblr | 500px | Facebook | zivity




The art nude fascinates me due to it's unique role in photography -- unlike far-off landscapes, whimsical societies, or exotic architecture, basically, everyone is familiar with what the human body looks like -- which places the responsibility squarely on the photographer to achieve something new and unseen, solely by painting with light, lenses and camera angles.


As for a pretentious list of influences, here goes: Cunningham, Weston (Ed and Brett), Karsten, Demarchelier, Renoir, Matisse, Ingres and Degas. (Did you ever notice that no one ever lists 'Smith'? Well, okay. They list Smith. But never Smith.)

I prefer in-camera crops and try to eschew digital manipulation that couldn't otherwise be done in a darkroom, on an enlarger. I prefer the look and feel of film, when I can, though I've been utilizing an all-digital workflow more frequently, of late.


I prefer to collaborate on a TFP/TFCD (or, my favorite, Time for Burritos) basis (and for good reason -- I'm both a starving artist and a starving academic). But, I'm no cheapskate. I'm happy to pay experienced models, they provide a unique look, incredible talent or the means to elevate my work to another level. I will share any profits from sales and exhibitions.

Generally, I prefer models with a dance background and a collaborative attitude -- the photographs are as much the result of my work, as they are the model's. I'm equally happy to work with first-time and experienced models.


I'm draconian fair with the terms of my modeling release and usage license, which I'll begrudgingly happily provide up-front.

I'm okay with chaperones, on three conditions: 1) you have to comfortable with them seeing everything, 2) if you consider your escort to be your 'personal security force,' or 'bodyguard,' don't bother -- your safety, comfort and peace of mind is just as important as mine, but an adversarial attitude, from the get-go, will create unnecessary tension during the shoot, 3) they won't mind serving as a human reflector stand from time-to-time.

I've been blessed with the gift of gab and a very tangential brain. Be prepared to remind me to shut-up and press the shutter button.

I'm highly protective of my work and the reputations of my models, probably to my own detriment. My photographs will never, ever, appear in any format or context that will cause you embarassment and I will make every attempt to consult with you prior to any exibition, or use by a 3rd party.

When I say collaborate, I mean it -- I want models with ideas. My photos are as much about me as they are about the people in them.

If mention that you've read the entirity of this profile, you'll get a sticker.


If you'd like to examine the full length and breadth of my equipment, see my website.

If you are interested in modeling for me, contact me via PM, or at

or click the obnoxiously-big 'email' image in the graphic at the top of this tome.

Oh, and I share a studio with Paul Cory. You should work with him. He's a cool dude.