Color Services

When the Photograph your Love® Instagram Takeover reached Week #160, we were pleased to introduce photographer Tee Smith. Tee had recently moved from New York to the Idyllic setting of Ojai, California. During his week as our guest photographer, he shared a variety of photos from the East Coast to the West, including shots taken in Santa Barbara during our catastrophic Thomas Fire. Tee shared more about his photography and his gear here.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the small coastal town of Hull, Massachusetts.

When did you get into photography and why?
As a young kid, my friends and I liked to rip around our empty seasonal vacation town during the winter and get into whatever possible trouble we could find. I started taking photos to document our life and realized how fun it was to string together stories.

How would you describe your shooting style?
Photo journalistic, rather than focusing on one photo I find it more exciting for me to look at a bunch of photographs that together cover a topic or form a narrative.

What kind of gear and technology do you use; and how does this influence or impact your work?
Right now I shoot with a canon DSLR, I like to use prime lenses. They tend to be sharper but more importantly force me to move around a lot. I usually have a 50mm on my camera, but love a good 35mm lens as well.

What photographer or artist has had the biggest influence on your own photography?
I am inspired by a family friend named John Goodman (not the actor). I have looked at his work since I was young. His photos are gritty, unique and full of emotion. I am also very much a fan of Joel Meyerowitz’s photos. Cape Light sparked my interest (since it was close to home) and his street photography blows my mind.

What motivates or inspires you to continue taking pictures?
A goal of mine is to use photography to expose issues regarding our planet, stories of environmental activism and those who make a large effort to save the places they love. The idea of a long term project, where I revisit my subjects over and over excites to me.

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Follow Tee Smith on Instagram @teedown. Visit his website at teesmithphoto.com.

Each week, a guest photographer takes over our Instagram stream as we spotlight photographers that inspire us…and that we feel embrace the meaning behind our tagline, #PhotographYourLove. As a business that process and prints photos, we see this as part of our mission. Follow along with us on the Photograph your Love® Instagram Takeover @colorservices.