Photographer Matthew Jordan Smith releases ‘Aretha Cool: The Intimate Portraits’, a tribute to Aretha Franklin
Los Angeles, California (Release): Celebrity, fashion, and beauty photographer Matthew Jordan Smith has released his fourth book, 'Aretha Cool: The Intimate Portraits' (ICLA) in tribute to The Queen of Soul during Women’s History Month.
Smith is the author of 'Sepia Dreams: A Celebration of Black Achievement Through Words and Images' (St. Martin’s Publishing Group), 'Lost and Found' (Filipacchi Publishing), and 'Future American President: 50 States, 100 Families, Infinite Dreams' (Goff Books). 'Aretha Cool: The Intimate Portraits' is a photographic celebration of the last chapter of the iconic Aretha Franklin, witnessed through the lens of her favorite photographer.
“The first time I captured Aretha Franklin through my lens, I presented her with my maiden publication, 'Sepia Dreams: A Celebration of Black Achievement Through Words and Images'," says Smith. “Her immediate response, laced with her iconic mix of humor and sincerity, ‘Why am I not in this book?’ It was then that I made a heartfelt promise to rectify this oversight in a future endeavor.”
'Aretha Cool: The Intimate Portraits', is a coffee table photography book, spanning 256 pages, and offers two distinct editions, each providing exclusive access to the legendary Aretha Franklin’s world as seen through Matthew Jordan Smith’s lens. The Limited Edition, restricted to one hundred copies, is signed and numbered, nestled within a bespoke clamshell enclosure. This edition becomes a treasure with the addition of a signed and numbered 8x10 fine art print.
Smith is based in Tokyo, Japan. He has photographed some of the world’s most famous icons, from Oprah Winfrey and Zendaya to Quincy Jones and George Lucas.