Knowing the photographer

In early 2013, I was asked to write a bio about Wildlife Research Images, my first entrepreneurial startup, for a magazine article. Because that version started in a story, I find it very fitting for this website.

"Back in the summer of 2007, I was working in Russia with a marine mammal research crew as a researcher and photographer. A few days into the trip, one of the fishermen on the rusted vessel we used approached me. (Picture a rugged-looking guy like Mike Rowe, voice of Deadliest Catch.) “Okhotnik za fotografii,” he said, but frankly, because it wasn’t pivo (beer) or da (yes), I had no clue what he was saying. He pointed to the camera with its big lens slung over my shoulder, and in thickly accented English, repeated, “Photo-hunter.” I tried to correct him: “Photographer.” But he was very keen in his translation, and then it hit me. Ahhh! I was hunting photos. The rest of the trip I was “Photo-hunter,” met with a smile, a pat on the back, and the friendship of some tough Russian fishermen. It felt pretty cool being called that, so I decided that “Photo-hunter” could stay in my vernacular."

 I quickly entered the photography world after university by working for National Geographic in 2002. There, I learned the importance of image collections, royalties, and how I wanted to be the guy that they called for assignments.

Since moving to Alaska in 2004, photography turned from hobby to profession. Working with the Alaska SeaLife Center, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and Norseman Maritime Charters all provided opportunities to photograph, tell stories, and share those experiences with others. In 2009, I started Wildlife Research Images to showcase my images, media capabilities, and provide scientists a platform to share their research with the general public. The following year, I started another photography business called Alaskan Portraits offering portrait, wedding, and event photography for Alaskan customers. Now...it is just www.brendansmith.photography!

Featured

Selected publications that have featured my photography. Click on the image to explore each publication.

Inspire Through Photography

While working at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), I had the amazing opportunity to photograph and develop projects that inspired healthy behaviors and choices. Both projects featured below stem from that work with ANTHC's EpiCenter. Healthy Portraits is a project that discovers healthy stories in rural Alaskan communities, and gives those photographs directly back to the community. I liked to refer to this project as focusing on the things going right in Alaskan communities. Highlighted below is the collaboration with the EpiCenter and NANANordic, a program dedicated to teaching kids to ski across Alaska. A photographer and great friend, Craig Billingsley, whose family is from Alaska's NANA region, assisted in the project. 

The second feature, Alaska Colon Health is a campaign bringing awareness to Alaskans about the importance of getting screened for colon cancer. Both of these projects were amazing to work with and be a part of—click on the links to visit each project and the terrific work these people are doing.

Recently, I have returned to photographing marine science and storytelling with the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB). NPRB launched an Arctic Integrated Research Program in 2017 with several research cruises. I was asked to be photographer and storyteller aboard the first research cruise aboard R/V Sikuliaq using a blog and social media to disseminate in near real-time on the vessel.