Paul Eric Smith

SMITH, PAUL ERIC

Born June 23, 1953 in Sacramento, CA, died unexpectedly at his home in Los Angeles, CA, on April 1, 2004. An internationally acclaimed photographer, he is survived by his beloved wife, Hanh-Ny; his parents, Roy Edward and Elizabeth Smith, Jr. of Bethesda, MD; two brothers, David Scott Smith of Rockville, MD and James Christopher Smith of Arlington, VA. Paul attended the University of Maryland in 1971 and in 1973 he began his studies of photography at the prestigious Ealing College of Art in London, England. While in Europe he ventured into commercial advertising, fashion, and fine art photography in London, Paris, and Milan. He returned home to Bethesda, and built his first Washington-area studio in 1976. It grew to serve a wide variety of regional and national advertising accounts. In 1986, childhood memories of his native California drew him back to the majestic western landscapes, where he pursued advertising and fine art photography endeavors. His most recent evolutionary work, shown in "Tales of Vietnam" on his West to Asia website (westtoasia.com), seeks to broaden understanding of the Vietnamese people and their rich cultural heritage as the country moves into the 21st century. There will be no services. Memorial contributions in Paul's name can be made to the Strathmore Hall Foundation, Inc., Arts Center, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD 20852-3224