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JEFF SMITH
Jeff Smith became seriously involved with photography thirty some years
ago, when he received a 35 mm SLR as a Christmas gift. He soon learned that the
cheapest way to use it constantly was with self-processed monochrome film, and
still uses black-and-white more often than not. He purchased a complete darkroom
from an 85-year-old former photojournalist in 1972, and is still using a lot of
equipment made before he was born. He is primarily self-taught in
photography.
"Alley Runners"
Aside from freelance photography and writing, which he has done part-time for eons, he has pursued and been pursued by many careers. His first was as a State of Delaware Probation and Parole Officer with a caseload in the City of Wilmington.
"Arcade Teens"
After seven years, he joined the U.S. Peace Corps, and
went to the Philippines as an agricultural advisor. Here he first acted as an
agricultural extension agent to a group of remote villages, then became involved
with a province-wide USAID project introducing new permanent crops. The project
and his Peace Corps service ended at about the same time, and he remained in the
Philippines to help create a private corporation from the former project. After
nine years, he returned to the U.S. to get his children in better schools, care
for his mother, and provide for the common expense.
"Passerby"
The move was ultimately
precipitated by a typhoon that flattened, but did not destroy, his business, and
seriously damaged all of his possessions, including 17 years worth of negatives.
He is currently working to recover some of these images with the help of digital
imaging, which he otherwise avoids.
"Phone"
Since returning to America, he has been
employed variously as an advertising photographer and copywriter, including
several years as a newspaper special sections editor, the advertising side of
journalism. He has also been employed sporadically as a longshoreman,
babysitter, bookstore clerk, census enumerator, singer-songwriter, produce
salesman, photography instructor and as a replacement for a broken switch. He
has long been at work on two novels, one concerning a probation-parole officer;
the other set in the decadent culture that surrounded the former U.S. military
bases in the Philippines. Since joining the Delaware Photographic Society
some fifteen years ago, he has served as print chairman, exhibition catalog
chairman, membership chairman, equipment chairman, historian, chairman of the
Wilmington International Exhibition, and as president.
"Wrong Man... with blood"