Many consider Blaq Smith one of the best photographers in the country and it’s easy to see why. The photography wizard’s work is peerless. His eye is unmatched. Let’s put it this way, almost every celebrity in the country has a full-time photographer following them around now but no one documents their subject (AKA in this instance) quite like Blaq Smith. As if ill pics were not enough, he also doubles up as AKA’s videographer and does all the slick editing for the rapper’s popular Life on the Road YouTube series. Smith also has the loudest weed we’ve ever come across so if you see him smoking a joint do not be tempted to ask him for a puff, lol.
We caught up with Blaq Smith who has just returned from Austin, Texas where AKA was performing at Various SXSW events.
Q: How did you get into photography? Was it a childhood passion of yours?
From a young age, I’ve been the artistic type. All kinds of art actually. So I studied fine art and fell in love with photography through my studies.
Q: You’re an extremely creative guy. What is about to photography that makes it the ideal creative outlet for you?
Photography is a great medium of art. It’s a challenging way of capturing moments in time instantly and forces me to constantly be creative. Imagine having to frame the world in a little rectangle, perfectly? I love that process.
Q: You also do videography and editing. How is it different from photography and what kind of skills are required for it?
Videography/Film making is fun. I love the process of cutting up gigs of recorded footage and turning it into an art piece, simultaneously giving you an insight of life through my eyes. I enjoy the art of turning what I would usually photograph as an image and converting it to a motion picture. To be a video editor, you need to be attentive, have a structure and know how to use the editing software efficiently.
Q: How did you meet AKA and how is it like working and touring with him every week?
I met AKA through Don Design and Yanga Chief, and began working with him shooting behind the scenes for his Dreamwork music video. Being on the road with him is pretty cool. It’s a roller coaster and we’ve created tons of memories.
Q: You have some strong ass weed … is that the secret behind your magical eye? Lol ..
Weed is great stimulant for my creative persona. It just simply enhances everything. So in essence, yes, it could possibly be the secret behind my magical eye. It’s not for everyone though, so people should always bare that in mind. Not for the faint hearted, my shit is mad loud lol.
Q: What are a few things that people don’t know about you?
Uhmmm.. People don’t know that I’m actually a university graduate. Niggas think I just picked up a camera and just started shooting lol. I actually put years into my craft, hence its so effortless now. It’s in my genes.
Q: What’s the ultimate creative project that you’d produce if you had R5 million to play with?
I don’t think I wanna answer this question. Niggas who actually have that R5mil might just steal my idea lol.
