Ryan Smith Productions

04/27/2021

To all my DC/Baltimore area friends and colleagues. I'm looking for some home locations for a few upcoming photo/video projects. In particular, I need furnished homes (can be occupied or unoccupied) with some or all of the following: Bright, open kitchen with an island, open living room with couch and TV, a kids room or would be nursery area, home office space, exercise bike, and outside garden. If you know anyone interested in renting their space for a day please DM me.

10/30/2020

Ryan Smith Dons PPE to Shoot Meritus Medical Center’s Annual Report
https://wonderfulmachine.com/blog/ryan-smith-dons-ppe-to-shoot-meritus-medical-centers-annual-report Ryan Smith Productions Meritus Health

07/07/2020

I had the opportunity to share my experiences and opinions in this article about what photographers and filmmakers have been doing during the pandemic. Take a look here.

I recently asked the members of the InspirED Photographer and Filmmaker Guide how they have been faring since March and what is happening with visual storytelling for private schools during the pandemic. Here are some of the thoughtful, honest, and inspiring answers to my questions.

06/19/2020

Original blog post here:
https://ryansmithproductions.com/blog//juneteenth

For as long as I can remember, the 4th of July has held a special place in my life as the day that America declared independence from England and became a free nation. I have proudly celebrated the 4th of July every year with friends and family. I fly an American flag on my front porch to honor this nation and the men and women that have fought for freedom.

However, as I better educate myself about American history, I am forced to reconcile how as a nation we have been able to delude ourselves into believing that July 4th, 1776 is the date that we freed ourselves from oppression. It’s the date that white America gained independence from England. African Americans remained enslaved for another 89 years under the brutal hands of white enslavers despite the constitution stating “that all men are created equal.” It wasn’t until June 19th, 1865 that news of emancipation reached the westernmost confederate state of Texas. It is this date, that all Americans “officially” gained their independence. But, it’s clear that emancipation didn’t mean the end of racial injustice.

During the past few months we have seen a dramatic shift in our way of life and a reckoning with the multitude of systems that are so incredibly broken. Covid-19 forced us all to confront an invisible enemy. It forced us to consider our lives, our relationships, our desire for change. And with the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of police on May 25th, it showed us the injustices of the present and re-opened the wounds of the past that we have never truly made reparations for.

I have to admit that living as a white man in this country and growing up during a time of unprecedented technological innovation and human health and wealth has been amazing. I also have to admit that I have never really known the kinds of racial injustices that are so prevalent across America. I consider myself to be a thoughtful, empathetic and educated person and yet I have always viewed racism outside of a few bad actors as a thing of the past. I’m deeply embarrassed by my complete lack of understanding and am working hard to learn more about the other side of history that white America has been too ashamed of to teach.

I want to publicly thank Black Americans for working endlessly to make this nation better. You should not have to do it on your own. I am sorry for my ignorance. There are no words that can make up for the untold suffering that millions of Black Americans have endured over the past 400 years, but I want to say that I love you. I support you. I will listen. I will teach my children both sides of history. I will continue to learn and educate myself about Black history. And, I will hold other white people accountable for what they say and do.

Happy Juneteenth America!

For as long as I can remember, the 4th of July has held a special place in my life as the day that America declared independence from England and became a free nation. I have proudly celebrated the 4th of July every year with friends and family. I fly an American flag on my front porch to honor this

04/10/2020

For all you nerds out there. When you finally get to that item that has been on your list for years. A reconfiguration of your workflow, backup solutions, metadata information and more, combined with a full copy of all your existing photos and footage still going strong at 50 hours.

03/20/2020

Earthrise, taken on December 24, 1968, by Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders. If you feel so inclined you can read this on my blog: RyanSmith productions.com/blog/dont-panic

I know things are scary right now. I’m not going to lie and say that I haven’t been experiencing anxiety during this time, but I do want to let you know that I have a firm belief that it’s all going to be okay. Maybe not tomorrow or the next day, but we will get through this. I promise.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the fragility of our current social, financial, healthcare and agricultural systems and see this as an opportunity for us to change what Joanna Macy called the “business as usual” mindset. This is nature’s way of telling us something is out of balance and we should really take a deep look at how we live and interact with the natural world. So maybe during this time of uncertainty, we slow down and reflect upon our own lives and that of society as a whole. Ask ourselves what do we really want out of life? What can’t we live without? How can we as individuals and as a species be more resilient in times of crisis?

I don’t have all the answers, but I can tell you I’ve been thinking about these issues for years and have slowly been making changes to my lifestyle that points me toward resiliency. For now though, my advice is to turn off cable news. Stay informed by reading or listening, but limit your intake of news to 30 minutes or less per day. That’s really all you need. Limit social media to 15 minutes per day. Ask yourself, do you really feel better after looking at your Facebook news feed? I don’t. Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a long time and ask them how they are doing. Video chat with family and friends. Read that book that’s been sitting on your shelf for months. Play with your kids. Start a new garden or grow a plant inside. Exercise. Do nothing. Dream.

And lastly, if you see someone who needs help, help them. This is going to be harder for some so let’s be compassionate and help those in need. We have more in common with each other than we don’t. We’re all human after all and we’re in this together.

03/17/2020

I have socially distanced my work space to the bar in my basement. If I’m going to work from home, may as well be at the bar.

02/28/2020

I snowboarded my face off the 3 full days I was in Colorado, but still managed to snap a few pics that I like. One of Peter looking regal and the others were to occupy myself while flying over the eastern part of Colorado.

02/27/2020

I had a blast snowboarding in Colorado, but also had a great time making some new pictures.

01/09/2020

Mandatory drone self portrait from this mornings solar shoot.