Mathew James Smith: Photography as Fine Art
The Challenge: Creating Mystery Through Design
Mathew James Smith is a wizard of unusual landscapes. He creates high-quality, unique imagery for galleries and magazines, traveling the globe each year to capture photographs that intrigue and mystify viewers. Based in London, he approaches landscape photography not just as documentation, but as fine art.
When Mathew approached Spellbrand, he was competing with some of the best photographers in the world and needed a logo that would reflect his unique vision: magical, timeless, soulful, and mysterious. He wanted an icon that was stamp-like or perhaps something that hinted at old English culture in London at the turn of the century—something that would connect his work to a sense of timelessness and romance.
Brand Strategy: Mystery and Intrigue
Mathew is very passionate about making a dent in the world of photography and helping people see his work as fine art rather than just photography. He wants there to be a mystery to his images—unanswered questions that intrigue people to come back and look again. He wants these images to feel like they come from a different time and place.
This positioning strategy informed every aspect of the brand identity. The logo needed to communicate:
- Timelessness: Images that feel like they’re from another era
- Mystery: Visual storytelling that invites repeated viewing
- Romance: An emotional connection to place and time
- Artistic quality: Fine art rather than commercial photography
Logo Design: The London Lantern
We created an icon of a lantern used for public lighting on the streets of London, which truly represents the kind of romance that Mathew wanted his brand to be associated with. This icon connects directly to the visual storytelling aspect of his positioning strategy.
The lantern works as a symbol because it:
- Evokes old London: Connects to the turn-of-the-century English culture he wanted
- Suggests illumination: Like his photography, it reveals hidden beauty
- Creates atmosphere: The warm glow suggests mystery and romance
- Functions as a stamp: The circular form works like a seal of authenticity
Photo Book Design: Bold Simplicity
The brand identity extends beautifully into Mathew’s photo book and magazine design, which uses a bold yellow color as the primary design element, creating a stark contrast to the black and white photographs. This is a great publicity piece that showcases his work while maintaining brand consistency.
The design philosophy here is important: designers often tend to clutter photobooks or magazines with lots of text and design elements. But the best visual strategy is to go for simplicity coupled with bold and striking design elements or colors. This approach lets the photography speak while the brand identity provides structure and visual interest.
Results: A Brand That Tells Stories
The complete brand identity we created for Mathew James Smith successfully communicates his unique positioning in the photography world. The London lantern logo, combined with the bold photo book design, creates a cohesive brand experience that positions his work as fine art while maintaining the mystery and intrigue that makes his unusual landscapes so compelling.
Today, Mathew uses this brand identity to present his work to galleries, magazines, and collectors who appreciate photography that transcends documentation and becomes fine art—images that feel like they come from a different time and place, inviting viewers to return and discover something new with each viewing.
