20. Framed

Photographer Rodney Smith knows how to use a frame, and he has the most perfect composition of any contemporary photographer I know. His pictures have a poetic cadence that follows the beat of the human heart. Everything is in the right place, yet his pictures are not meticulous and sterile. When I photographed him at his home in New York, I wanted to create a portrait that reflected how I felt about him and his work.

Canon 5DMii, 35mm lens, f/4

Airports are curious places. They are filled with people, but nobody really belongs. Everyone is either coming or going, and this makes airports perfect for watching and wondering. It’s like going to a museum and looking at art—no creative action is required. Photographing people starts with the same curiosity, but making pictures requires taking a decisive step.