Tim Smith
2047206941
info@timsmithphotography.ca
CV
"Some people are obsessed with the sophisticated and futuristic cityscape like New York, but (Smith) is the exact opposite." - Kim Chang-gil
Manitoba-based photographer and speaker Tim Smith has the most boring name in photography. He has spent seventeen years documenting life on the prairies including fifteen years photographing the Hutterites; insular Anabaptists who live communally on colonies in Canada and the United States. His work is among the broadest and most extensive visual documentations of their culture ever produced and has been published and exhibited throughout the world. As part of the 500-year-anniversary commemoration of Anabaptism, Smith's work is currently on exhibition in Wittenberg, Germany, the birthplace of the Protestant Reformation. Smith was the 2022 Donggang Photo Festival Artist of the Year and a featured speaker and exhibitor at the 2023 Xposure International Photo Festival in Sharjah, UAE. Portions of his work from his prairie and Hutterite projects are part of private and public collections including Duke University's Archive of Documentary Arts collection, the Province of Manitoba's art collection, the city of Medicine Hat's art collection and the permanent display at the Múzeum habánov v Sobotišti in Slovakia. In addition to long-term documentary work Smith is a passionate speaker on topics relating to slow journalism, photographing sensitive communities or subjects, mental health in journalism and the heartbreak and joy of being invited into people's lives. He covers assignments for a variety of editorial and commercial clients in the prairies and occasionally further on. Smith's work has garnered several awards including three National Newspaper Awards and a Judges Special Recognition in the prestigious Pictures of the Year International (POYI) Community Awareness Award.
Portions of Smith's Hutterite work have been graciously supported by four Manitoba Arts Council grants and a Canada Council for the Arts grant.
Talks and Panels
2025
- The Hutterites and the Prairies. Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. June 21, 2025.
2024
- Long Term Projects. Zoom talk through FRAMES Magazine. July 20, 2024.
- The Hutterites. Talk and Q&A with curator Laura Covelli at the Museo Diocesano Di Cremona. Italy. February 25, 2024.
- The Hutterites. Globe Photojournalism Summit Spotlight series. Toronto, Canada. June 14, 2024.
2023
- The Gift Of Time In Long-Term Documentary Photography – Xposure Photo Festival Speaker series. UAE. February 11, 2023.
- Finding stories in your own backyard. Canadian Association of Journalists 2023 Conference. Vancouver. April 14-16, 2023.
- Finding stories in your own backyard. Projections NYC. June 14, 2023.
- The Hutterites, the Prairies and the symbol of the 2022 Festival with curator Laura Covelli. Festival Della Fotografia Etica, Lodi, Italy. October 28, 2023.
2022
- MHC Gallery exhibition talk and Q&A. Winnipeg, Canada. November 10, 2022.
- Anthropology through Photography panel. Head On Photo Festival, Sydney, Aus. November 5, 2022.
Exhibitions
Múzeum habánov v Sobotišti (Hutterites Museum in Sobotište), Slovakia. Permanent.
2025 - February. In The World But Not Of It projection. Angkor Photo festival. Cambodia.
2025 - April - July. In The World But Not Of It solo exhibition. Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. Tampa, USA.
2025 - April 6 - 27. In The World But Not Of It exhibition. PhotoFrome festival. UK.
2025 - April - August. In The World But Not Of It solo exhibition. LutherMuseen. Wittenberg, Germany.
2025 - July - July, 2026. Chaff - A Harvest Project. Outdoor exhibition. Donggang Photo Festival. South Korea.
2025 - October 11 - 19. The Hutterites exhibition. Bucharest Photofest, Romania.
2025 - December - March, 2026. In The World But Not Of It solo exhibition. Red Deer Art Gallery. Canada.
2024 - February 3 - April 7. In The World But Not Of It solo exhibition. Museo Diocesano Di Cremona. Italy.
2024 - May 16 - June 7. In The World But Not Of It solo exhibition. Malmitalo Gallery. Helsinki, Finland.
2024 - June. The Hutterites. Check In Photo Fair. Jeju, Korea.
2024 - Summer. Tag at Spring Valley Colony. Single image exhibited at Fotofestival Lenzburg. Switzerland.
2024 - August. Hutterite families. Fotografia Calabria Festival. Italy.
2024 - Sept 28 - Oct 9. The Hutterites exhibition. Photopolis Agrinio Photo Festival. Greece.
2023 - February 9 - 15. The Hutterites solo exhibition. Xposure International Photo Festival. Sharjah, UAE.
2023 - February-March. The Hutterites exhibition. Africa Foto Fair. Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire.
2023 - May. The Hutterites. La Notte della Fotografia. Piacenza, Italy.
2023 - June - August. The Hutterites solo exhibition. The Daly House Museum. Manitoba, Canada.
2023 - September. The Hutterites solo exhibition. Killarney Turtle Mountain Arts Council. Manitoba, Canada.
2023 - October - November. The Hutterites solo exhibition. Fotoforum. Innsbruck, Austria.
2023 - October - March, 2024. The Hutterites solo exhibition. Medicine Hat Esplanade. Alberta, Canada.
2023 - November 2 - January 12. In The World But Not Of It. Freelens Gallery. Hamburg, Germany.
2023 - November 24 - ongoing. SPAO Photo Walk Installation. Ottawa, Canada.
2022 - November 18 - December 19. The Hutterites exhibition. Indian Photo Festival. Hyderabad, India.
2022 - November 4 - 20. The Hutterites exhibition. Head On Photo Festival. Sydney, Australia.
2022 - September 16 - November 12. In The World But Not Of It solo exhibition. MHC Gallery. Winnipeg, Manitoba.
2022 - September. The Hutterites. Festival Della Fotografia Etica. Lodi, Switzerland.
2022 - September 3. In The World But Not Of It screening. Verzasca Foto Festival. Switzerland.
2022 - July 22 - October 9. The Hutterites; Festival Artist of the Year solo exhibition. Donggang Photo Festival. South Korea.
2022 - July 21 - August 28. Harmony; A Mutual Understanding group exhibition. Ragusa Foto Festival. Ragusa, Italy.
2022 - July 7 - October 2. In The World But Not Of It. Helsinki Photo Festival. Helsinki, Finland.
2022 - July 3 - October 3. In The World But Not Of It; The Hutterites solo show. MEWO Kunsthalle. Memmingen, Germany.
2022 - April 1 - 31. The Hutterites Featured Exhibition. Flash Photographic Festival. Winnipeg, Manitoba.
2022 - The Hutterites. PHOTO IS:RAEL festival travelling exhibiton. Kfar Yona, Nahariya.
2021 - November - Growing up Hutterite. Meeting Point - 9th Annual PHOTO IS:RAEL festival. Tel Aviv, Israel.
2021 - June - August. In the World but not of It. Estevan Art Gallery & Museum. Estevan, Saskatchewan.
2021 - June 3 - 30. The Hutterites. Belfast Photo Festival
2020 - November 28, 2020 - March 13, 2021. Luxembourg Art Prize finalists group exhibition. Luxembourg, EU.
2020 - May 11 - June 20. Hutterites of Manitoba solo show. Portage and District Arts Centre. Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.
2020 - June 26 - September 19. Hutterites of Manitoba solo show. MHC Gallery. Winnipeg, Manitoba. CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS
2020 - January 10 - February 23. In the World but not of It solo show. Gallery@501. Sherwood Park, Alberta.
2019 - 2020 - Hutterites at Play. United Photo Industries' The Fence open-air exhibition. Brooklyn, Houston, Seattle, Boston, Sarasota, Atlanta, Denver, Calgary.
2019 - April 1-29. Midwest Arts Council, Hamiota, Manitoba - Hutterites of Manitoba
2017 - March 16-21. Take Out Takes group show with Rogue Collective at Black Cat Artspace, Toronto, Ontario. Curated by Rogue Collective
2016 - September 21-25. A Few Acres of Snow group container show at Photoville 2016 in Brooklyn, New York. Curated by Laurence Butet-Roch
2016- October 6 - November 20. Hutterites of Manitoba solo show at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba. Curated by Natalia Lebedinskaia
2016 - November 2 – 27. Hutterites of Manitoba solo show at Zoom Photojournalism Festival, Saguenay, Quebec. Curated by Laurence Butet-Roch
Awards and Press
2025
- The Guardian My Best Shot
- Gold Medal, Best Photo Storytelling, Digital Publishing Awards - Kitaskeenan Kaweekanawaynichikatek for The Narwhal
2024
- Duke University's Archive of Documentary Arts Collection Award
- National Newspaper Award for Feature Photography
- National Newspaper Award Citation of Merit for Breaking News (team with Brandon Sun/ WFP Colleagues)
- Interview with Talking Pictures
- Manitoba Arts Council travel grant recipient
- Artist Residency at the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre, Alberta
- Scatti di Etica Podcast - Italy
2023
- Honourable Mention, Foto Forum Santa Fe Photography Award
- Finalist, Best Photo Storytelling, Digital Publishing Awards - The Canadian wheat odyssey for The Globe and Mail
- Finalist, Single Shot Award, Festival Della Fotografia Etica
- Shortlist, 2023 Helsinki Photo Festival, Courage
- Shortlist, 2023 Cortona On The Move Award
2022
- Finalist, Spotlight Award, Festival Della Fotografia Etica
- Finalist, Nera di Verzasca Prize, Verzasca Foto Festival, Switzerland
- Profile in the Free Press
- Profile on CHVN Radio
- Hutterites exhibition profile, Korea
- Manitoba Arts Council travel grant recipient.
- Canada Council for the Arts travel grant recipient.
2021
- Belfast Photo Festival Spotlight Award Shortlist
- Profile and Interview in Creative Review, UK
- Profile and Interview in Huck Magazine
- Profile and Interview in JOIA Magazine, Chile
- Manitoba Arts Council production grant recipient.
2020
- CBC Edmonton interview for In the World but Not of It solo exhibition
- CBC Edmonton AM radio interview for In the World but Not of It solo exhibition
- Finalist, 2020 Luxembourg Art Prize
- Finalist, 2020 CDS Documentary Essay Prize in Photography
2019
- Macleans Magazine - Manitoba's fleeting, stunning summer caught on camera
- Photolife Magazine - The Photo Essay interview by Amber Bracken
2018
- Judges Special Recognition, Community Awareness Award, Pictures of the Year International (POYI)
- Finalist, National Magazine Awards, Photojournalism and Photo Essay Category as part of a Team for Macleans Magazine - Dreams of Canada Feature
- Finalist, Short Story Award, Festival Della Fotographia Etica
2017
- Manitoba Arts Council grant recipient
2016
- National Newspaper Award for Feature Photography
2015
- Second Place - Feature Category, NPPA Best of Photojournalism
- Third Place - Best Published Picture Story (Small Market) NPPA Best of Photojournalism
- Honourable Mention - Feature Multimedia NPPA Best of Photojournalism
- Finalist - National Newspaper Award for Local Reporting (for the Testing Positive cancer series)
- First Place - Social Issue Category - News Photographers of Canada National Photos of the Year
- Second Place - Photo Story Category - News Photographers of Canada National Photos of the Year
- Finalist - News Photographers of Canada Photojournalist of the Year
2014
- First Place - Pictorial Category, News Photographers of Canada National Photos of the Year
- Finalist - News Photographers of Canada Photojournalist of the Year
- New York Times Portfolio Review participant
2013
- National Newspaper Awards nominee for Feature Photography
- Brandon Arts Council grant recipient
2012
- Magenta Foundation Flash Forward - Emerging Photographers 2011 selection
2011
- National Newspaper Award winner for Feature photography
- Photo of the Year - News Photographers of Canada National Photos of the Year
- First Place - Feature Category, News Photographers of Canada National Photos of the Year
- First Place - Portrait Category, News Photographers of Canada National Photos of the Year
- First Place - Pictorial Category, News Photographers of Canada National Photos of the Year
- Finalist - News Photographers of Canada Photojournalist of the Year
2010
- First Place, Natural Environment Category, NPPA Best of Photojournalism
2009
- Second Place - Feature Category, News Photographers of Canada National Photos of the Year
2008
- Honourable Mention - Feature Category, News Photographers of Canada National Photos of the Year
2007
- Honourable Mention - Pictorial Category, News Photographers of Canada National Photos of the Year
2006
- Edward Dunlop Award of Excellence winner for Feature Photography