Friday Fifteen: Ali Smith

It’s the Friday Fifteen! This is a “repeat” of my original May 25 post – enjoy!

Photo credit: (c) Danielle Levitt, New York magazine

Today’s guest is our first ever cover photographer. Meet Ali Smith, who has photographed covers for a number of teen books – as well as collections for her own books.

On a personal note, the first book cover that I saw that Ali had done was Sara Shepard’s Pretty Little Liars:

Now, onto the Fifteen!

1. Where are you now?
Same place I always seem to be…in front of my computer

2. What were your favorite books as a kid?
I loved the Little House series and the Laura Ingalls Wilder biography where they showed photos of her and her family. It was mind blowing for me at the time that the person who’d written that series was an actual person who you could see in photographs. She seemed like an epic hero, not a young girl. Good lesson that the two things could be one in the same.

3. What are you reading now?
I’m reading lots of books related to motherhood. a) because I’m working on my next book of photography that centers around the subject and b) because I labor under the delusion that if I read enough, I will somehow be prepared for my own role as mother when the time comes.

4. Do you have kids?
For six years, I was a devoted stepmother. But the relationship with her father has ended and, sadly, it seems my relationship with her may have ended as a result. Atl east for now. I am planning on having a child soon.

5. What projects are you working on now?
Besides shooting book covers pretty consistently, which I love doing, I’m working on the aforementioned book of portraiture. My first book, “Laws of the Bandit Queens”, was portraits of and life laws from 35 amazing women like Alice Walker, Janeane Garofalo, Sandra Bernhard, Geraldine Ferraro… This one centers on what motherhood and family really are and how a woman can parent well and still maintain a sense of self. I guess I’ve always looked for role models and guidance through my photography.

6. What is your biggest writing or illustrating luxury?
That I get to work in my pj’s. (I work from a home office) except for at the shoots, naturally. Although I have had to do an underwater shoot (for “MIX”) in a bathing suit. It’s fun that each day of work is going to be a bit different.

7. Coffee or tea?
Coffee! Although I’m really trying to switch to tea. If for no other reason, because my coffee habit is costing me a small fortune.

8. Name five artists on your ipod (or mp3 player).

Myself (My latest album came out about six months ago. It’s called “You Showed Me” and is under the artists’ names “Steve Almaas and Ali Smith”. Steve is my ex. The album came out right after the breakup. Fun fun fun.)

Lily Allen

Lucinda Williams

The Ricky Gervais Show (podcast)

Massive Attack

9. What would I be surprised to know about you?
I danced at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, with Rudolph Nuryev.

10. What college did you attend (in what subject)?
NYU. Started out for Visual Arts in general but really found myself in photography. Big bonus was I went for free because my mom was a nurse at NYU!!

11. If you weren’t working with kids’ books, what would your dream job be?
Photography is my dream job. If I couldn’t shoot kids’ books, as long as I was shooting, I’d still be in my dream job.

12. What’s the best thing on TV right now?
Hmmm… That really depends. Am I trying to turn my brain off, or really enjoy what I’m watching. I don’t watch much at all anymore because it’s usually awful.
Channels 1 through 36 may as well not exist. To turn my brain off, I love to veg to Bravo’s intensely ridiculous lineup of Project Runway, Shear Genius, Top Chef, etc. But the shows i really love are “Campus Ladies” on Oxygen and “The Sarah Silverman Show”. I wish wish wish they’d put “Little Britain” on the air here!

13. How did you get your “big break” into the field?
Years ago, an amazing woman named Alison Donalty, Art Director extraordinaire at HarperCollins Children’s Books, asked me to fill in for her when she went on maternity leave. I didn’t have any experience in publishing, just as a music and editorial photographer who sometimes did random advertising work. Her faith in me, that I could handle it, was so touching and opened the door to this whole world of photography for publishing which I just love! Sometimes you really need just one person to have faith in you and give you a break. Then when my agent, Shannon Associates, showed faith in me, it really all came together!

14. Which celeb would you want most to meet?
I’ve honestly met all the ones I’ve wanted to. Which is good because it calms you down about that stuff and makes everything seem more attainable to you when you see everyone’s just a person doing their best.

15. Who is the best book character ever?
Wow! That’s just impossible for me to answer. I tend to associate myself with some of the darker characters… Not anyone in fun teen novels. I got a lot from characters like the main character in Camus’ “The Stranger”, for instance, but he’s not the best character ever. I swing towards brooders. Sorry. That was a lame way to end the interview. i guess i could just say “the pig from Charlotte’s Web” and be done with it.

I would like to add something else since you’ve been talking about “MIX”. This mix program within the Aladdin imprint at Simon & Schuster has been a really great experience. There’s an amazing creative team headed up by art director Karin Paprocki and involving designer Jessica Sonkin, who I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with on a few covers. It’s exciting to be involved in the development of something like this. It’s pure fun!

I’ve also had the chance to shoot several covers for the Simon Pulse (teen pb books) imprint headed by Russell Gordon.

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Here are some more cool covers from Ali’s portfolio (click on the thumbnail to expand):

You can check out some more of Ali’s work on her web site. Ali’s agents can be found at Shannon Associates – you can visit the kids’ book section here.

Thanks, Ali, for sharing!