TribeLA Magazine Acrostic Interview.6

Special: Who or what holds a special place in your heart? How does this factor into your creative process?
My children hold the most special place (as does my husband) in my heart. In terms of photography, my daughter has been a profound partner in my journey, allowing me to photograph her over the years and knowing instinctively what I want for the photograph. We used to have the best dog in the world—even my friends and neighbors have confirmed this—a beautiful yellow lab named Riley. When I would hang a backdrop, she would promptly go sit in the middle of it, ready to work. She passed away a couple of years ago and I still miss her every day.

Time: What is your all-time favorite piece of writing/art/music you’ve created?
The series with my mother, Arrangement in Green and Black, has been my favorite work as a photographer. It launched my career and continues to be exhibited and published around the world for well over a decade. She would be amazed where her photographs have been featured: Russia, China, Korea, France, Spain, Poland, Germany and all over the US. As for writing, I’m most proud of the daily journal on photography, LENSCRATCH, that I founded and for the last ten years, have written about a different photographer every day.

Tomorrow, the entire Acrostic.

Aline Smithson is founder and editor of LENSCRATCH, a daily journal that explores contemporary photography and offers opportunities for exposure and community. Created in 2007, Aline set a goal of writing about a different photographer each day, presenting work in a way that allows for a deeper understanding of a photographer’s intent and vision.

Since its inception, LENSCRATCH has featured the work of thousands of photographers and has provided a platform to launch numerous portfolios. LENSCRATCH has been a media partner to numerous photography festivals and organizations such as CENTER, Filter Photo Festival, Medium Photo Festival, and LOOK3.