Pathways
A Journey Through the Innovative Images of Acclaimed Photographer G.B. Smith
G. B. Smith’s book, PATHWAYS takes the viewer through a journey of each image, using light to illuminate patterns and distilling the subject down to its uncluttered form.
This innovative approach transcends a wide range of subjects and genres and reflects his traditional photographic heritage of plate cameras and exclusively black-and-white imagery. The joy of his imagery is in fact deeply embedded in his ability to present the canvas in its essential form. His images bring solace to our psyche constantly overwhelmed by the overstimulation of colour, and they encourage us to appreciate the essence of the subject in a new and releasing way. Out of less comes more in this gorgeously produced volume.
PATHWAYS is also a metaphor for the photographer’s personal artistic journey that began almost fifty years ago as a teenager and has taken a somewhat circuitous route, coming back full circle to embrace his original photographic passions.
The book features selected works from several of G.B. Smith’s current collection, including many of his more recent award-winning images. All of the author’s proceeds are being donated to The Breast Cancer Alliance charity.
Born in the industrial heartland of England, G. B. Smith began his photographic passage almost fifty years ago as a teenager in apprenticeship of traditional film techniques in both the darkroom and with large-plate cameras. The simplicity and deliberateness of his images today reflect the mindfulness of traditional approach, manifested in modern digital technology. Given his industrial heritage, many of G.B. Smith’s studies gravitate toward decaying man-made structures and the appreciation of their form, together with their interaction with the regenerative power of nature. Similarly, his image of modern architecture celebrates the architect’s intent, stripped down to form and purpose.
G. B. Smith’s early enthusiasm in photography, matched by his interest in emerging communication technologies and entrepreneurship, led him down a path of discovery and exploration in countries and cultures throughout the world. His ability to understand context and distill things down to their essence has also made him highly successful in his other persona as a technology and business leader, becoming one of the longest serving public company CEOs in the USA.