UNITED STATES

A former Time, Life, and National Geographic photographer, Rick Smolan has spent a decade finding ways to place himself and his projects directly in the path of the converging worlds of photography, design and publishing technology.

In 1981, Smolan created the bestselling Day In The Life book series. More than three million copies have been sold to date; A Day In The Life of America alone was the New York Times bestseller list for over a year, making it the bestselling photographic title in American history. Four of the books have been featured on the covers of Time and Newsweek.

Smolan has long been on the forefront of emerging technologies. In 1983 he received backing from the Washington Post to create the world's first electronic mail system for photography and publishing. In 1988 he worked with Apple Computer and Newsweek on an interactive laserdisc project exploring a new form of electronic publishing. In 1989, he was one of the founders of Light Source, a computer software company specializing in the graphic manipulation and enhancement of computer images. In 1990, he began consulting for Eastman Kodak's Professional Photography Division, and helped create the Center for Creative Imaging in Camden, Maine.

In 1992, Smolan produced From Alice To Ocean, the world's first interactive "coffee-table" book. Based on Robyn Davidson's 1700-mile solo trek across the Australian desert, which Smolan had originally covered for National Geographic, From Alice to Ocean is one of the milestones of interactive media. The San Francisco Examiner called it "...a stunning, addictive and mesmerizing experience that may well change the course of publishing forever."

In November 1994, Smolan released Passage To Vietnam, a photographic book featuring the work of 70 of the world's top photojournalists, who were given unprecedented access to a country beginning to emerge from decades of war and isolation. A CD-ROM of the same name was released in June, 1995, and was hailed as "the best CD-ROM ever produced" by the Chicago Sun-Times.

In its January, 1994 issue, American Photo magazine chose Smolan as one of "Photography's Top 100" most important people. "Perhaps no one has been more influential in creating a market for photography books," the magazine commented.

Contact Information:
Against All Odds Productions
P.O. Box 1189
Sausalito, CA 94966-1189
e-mail: ricksmolan@aol.com