Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Smith.
Hi Jacob, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My backstory is slightly interesting. When I was 19, turning 20 years old, I randomly decided to enlist in the U.S. Army Reserves as a Combat Photographer…this was in 2000. Well, given how the world kind of went crazy under a year later. I ended up being sent to Iraq to cover the war from 2003, 2006-2007 and 2008-2009. While on vacation from Iraq in 2007, I went to Europe to attend a music festival called Wave Gotik Treffen. I took my personal camera with me and documented the shows I went to, and had some of the work picked up for publication. Upon getting out of the military in 2010, I just naturally started focusing my craft more towards music and art photography, which led me to the fashion and portrait photography world as well. For a few years, I was the venue photographer for the now closed venue The International in Knoxville, TN, where I gained a large portfolio of live music work and won Blank Magazine’s Best Event Photographer category in 2016 for the city. I moved to Nashville at the end of 2017 to pursue my music and fashion work further and have been here ever since.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but then again I lived through 3.5 years of war. I’ve found that every issue will only make you better in the long run. Much like anything in life, groups can be fickle, and friends come and go, as do work. The focus is always to be stubborn and to continue progressing and developing my own work.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in Fashion Photography and Music Photography. I’m known for both rather well. One I’m exceptionally proud of was being able to cover Ryan Adams for him at his last performance at The Ryman Auditorium with full house access to do what I do best. I think what really sets me apart is the fact that I had 10 years of war photography, which developed a rather robust work ethic and direction.
Currently, as well, I am working on an ongoing Music Industry Portrait series based here in Nashville that I’m calling The Singles. And the focus of it is to highlight everyone in the industry, not just the artist. Everyone deserves a moment in the spotlight. So far with that one, the word of mouth spread and reaction has been beyond positive, and I’ve been developing lead after lead and getting short sessions finished for an ultimate goal of a gallery exhibit where everyone will be displayed, and down the line, a book release.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Finding meaningful contacts and connections and thoroughly vet every one is solid piece of advice I would give those starting out. Also, be extremely stubborn. In this society that has developed into a very immediate gratification culture, people can get disheartened and give up. To fully make it, have a strong work ethic, and don’t be shy to ask people questions. The worst they will say is “No”. And to be stubborn and not let sometimes not really immediate recognition delay distract your focus.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jhs-photo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jhs.photo
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/jhsphoto.music
