Sewickley Gallery & Frame Shop | Michael Paul Smith

There are a number of things about making models and photographing them that are peak experiences for me. Doing research is one of them. Studying old photographs gives one the historic details, but it’s the "snap shots" and "out takes" that are the most significant in term of "moments in time". They capture and trigger very old memories. You know how certain smells can bring your past back? I’ve found that to be true in the visual world, too.

There’s a real balancing act going on in my head during a shoot. It’s not about the individual objects or buildings; even if there’s a single item in the frame. The photograph, for myself, wants to be a one-frame narrative that’s emotionally accessible to the viewer. If it’s too much of my own personal story, then the image just becomes a curiosity. I try to tap into universal themes about childhood, family, longing, happiness, love and sadness - the same emotions that flow when we look through a box of our own dusty photos.

When photographing indoors, the lighting generally consists of a bare 40- or 60-watt bulb. While Christmas tree lights or battery-powered LEDs illuminate interiors of the buildings. Set dressing details are simple: snow is baking soda; rain is water from the sink; gutter dirt is the detritus from the vacuum cleaner bag. There is nothing fancy going on, yet all these common items come together to create a complete world.

Michael Paul Smith

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