82°
No stranger to sports, Patrick Smith, a self-proclaimed "naturally gifted athlete" who has traveled around the world for his job, has been busy in France as a featured photographer for Getty Images.
Smith, 39, says when his athletic career came to a close early in his college days, he decided to transition to photography.
"After one semester of playing lacrosse in college, I shifted my focus to photography," he said. "I loved the instant gratification of getting the perfect picture.
"Because of that, I was drawn to sports photography, joined my campus newspaper, before I made the progression in the photojournalism industry as an intern, newspaper photographer to eventually Getty Images."
Paris marks Smith's fourth Olympic Games, and the third Summer Games, since taking on his role with Getty.
One of the greatest challenges with covering sports "is staying fresh," he said, as he hopes to bring a particular perspective that viewers may not otherwise be privy to while watching from home.
"We are only given so much space to work, which is always occupied by our competition," Smith told Daily Voice. "That level of focus, passion I bring is unmatched, but takes a lot of discipline to make sure we walk away with better imagery."
Smith described himself as a "Swiss Army knife in the world of photography," who "enjoys visually telling the stories of major events," and his skillset is not limited to the Olympics.
"Whether it's an Olympics, World Championship or Super Bowl ... This year has brought the US Olympic Trials - Track and Field, the PGA Championship, the US Open Women's golf, and a host of other premier championships that allow us to photograph the biggest names on the biggest stages."
The former college lacrosse player mused that he never pictured himself photographing at an Olympics, but now he is on his fourth, and the shutterbug doesn't plan on slowing down.
"While I still consider myself a (Swiss army knife) in the world of photography, I am more drawn to news photography," Smith said. "This is how I started my career and still help our news team out when able.
"But as my career shifted, I realized that I was being celebrated by peers, colleagues for the work I produce in the sports arena."
However, at the end of the day, Smith says that it's not the photos, or the accolades that keep his engine running, it's the relationships he has been able to foster over the years while traversing the globe for work.
"When it comes down to it, we're all professional photographers, but I try to be a role model in being a good human," he said.
"Someone that someone wants to work with, have on their team. In doing that, it keeps our team relaxed and confident, which in turn helps produce world class imagery."
Want breaking news in the DMV as it happens, or want to contribute? Join the DMV All Incidents Facebook group.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Suitland and receive free news updates.
