Some of the greatest photographers I believe, are those who continue to give gifts to the photo community and and light comforting hearthfires for those of us in darkness. They show us the human side of imagery that marketing companies don’t put enough emphasis on — only because they want to strive towards profit. I’m not only talking about the photo industry here, but also the music industry. But one of the photographers who I think sincerely should be on everyone’s favorite list of portrait photographers is Matthew Jordan Smith. In his recent book, Aretha Cool, we get to read about some of his unique stories with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. It’s rare insight into the minds of photographers and their subjects that we don’t get often. If you think that Aretha Cool is only a book that’s about Aretha, you’re mistaken. In fact, I like to call it the story of the yellow rose.
