Most of us can see. Few of us are seers.

Born in Detroit and a 1973 graduate of Howard University, she started professional life as a model but quickly switched. No longer the object before the camera, she became the agent behind the camera. The one who quietly pictured the intimate life of us.

Her portraits are startling in their intimacy, as though she is introducing us to a close friend she loves and whom she is equally sure we will also love.

She is noted for her distinctive studies of jazz–both the musicians and the music in general. Although much of her work is in black&white, she has also done amazing color and hand-colored photography.

Probably not intentionally so. She is not a tourist guide through the community of us quickly grabbing commercial images–much of what she does is one step short of embarrassing. Embarrassing for both the seen and those who are looking at images of what is seen.

Rather than a photography mainly of technique–after all, many of her photographs are subjects many of us could take IF we were as dedicated as she is to sensitively picturing the moments we are not just ordinary day to day objects, but rather, going deeper and getting to whenever we are extraordinary, whenever no one, or at least far too many of us, are not looking; those many moments when we do not notice ourselves. When we are so wrapped up in the moment, that’s when she freezes us. We seldom sense her camera click.

Indeed, looking at her work, the image is so captivating we do not even stop to think, to question, to wonder who did it and how did they do it.

Listen to Ming Smith tell us how she gives us something special to look at.

(All images by Ming Smith)