“Some People are Bullfighters, Some are Politicians. I’m a Photographer.”

My name is Philip Smith (He/Him). I’m a self-trained, highly-energetic, professional photographer based in the Washington, DC area. I’m photographing a little bit of everything and booking appointments worldwide.

 
Getting the shot. Chewacla State Park, Auburn, AL. Photo by Philip Darden.

Getting the shot. Chewacla State Park, Auburn, AL. Photo by Philip Darden.

I don't remember the exact moment I first picked up a camera, but I do know that I never put it down. A mentor once told me, “it's not work until you'd rather be somewhere else.” There's no place I'd rather be than anywhere with a camera in my hand. Photography is my passion, my calling in life, and I'm truly grateful that I'm able to make a living from something I love so dearly.

My career has spanned twelve years, and I’ve worn many different hats through many different jobs. My primary title has been “photographer,” but with a few different focuses. I’ve been a photojournalist, a product photographer, a fashion shooter, the eye for a communications and marketing team, and a commercial studio manager. I’m currently lucky enough to be my own boss, running a small photography company out of my home office. This site serves as a portfolio for my professional images and a storefront of what I shoot for fun. I’m also working part-time at the National Aquarium, photographing the cool critters that call Baltimore home.

The common theme throughout my professional and hobby photography is that I’m never satisfied with my first look. I’m always looking at a frame and deciding how to make it better.

When thinking about my style in professional photography, I am a people person who believes each photograph is a conversation between the subject and the audience, even if the subject is an inanimate object. The client always has a story to tell, and it’s my job to make that story as vivid, emotional, and energetic as possible.

I’m always having fun with a camera in my hand, but when I’m shooting for pleasure rather than work, I shoot with the goal of capturing the extraordinary within the ordinary. My friends are  often impressed when a scene suddenly reveals itself to me mid-stride or mid-thought, and I can’t help but to stop in my tracks to capture whatever it is that caught my eye.

On the more personal side of things, I’m an Auburn University graduate. While receiving my formal education down on the Plains, I discovered and was moved by the Auburn Creed, an ideology much of the Auburn faithful cherish. George Petrie, the tenet’s author, states, “I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.” That’s photography to me; an instrument used to reach out and touch my fellow humans and to hopefully make a lasting, positive impact.

I left Auburn, Alabama, in December 2019 to follow my wife to the DC area, where we’ve settled in Rockville, Maryland. Admittedly, my previous thoughts centered solely on the monuments and urban area, but as I ventured away from the bustle, I discovered wild, diverse landscapes begging to be explored. Also, having lived most of my life in the South, I’m both excited about and terrified of snow, so we’ll see how that goes.

This website contains only a fraction of what I’ve been up to for the past few years of my career. For a more personal glimpse of my photography, please check out my Instagram.