Saturday, June 9, 2012

Edie Beeson Smith

Starting in 1973 I had the pleasure and privilege of working with Edie Smith, who freelanced for the paper, producing fashion shoots for the Sunday Magazine. She had worked for Vogue magazine in the past and she and I worked together for about 10 years shooting all kinds of fashion stories and multi-page magazine spreads. What was amazing, was that she produced these stories single-handedly. She went to the shows to pick the fashions, and visited the designers for accessories, she chose the models, and we worked together to find locations. The photographic work I did with her was some of the best work I ever did. And all our shoots were fun, as well. Several months ago she passed away in Idaho, where her daughter and son-in-law now live. Today there was a luncheon in Manhattan with family and friends, to celebrate her life. Edie was the most elegant woman I have ever met, and this is a drawing of her made back when she worked for Vogue I think shows that elegance.

4 comments:

Ron Taylor said...

Ken, what a pleasure to meet you. Having you at Edie's memorial meant so much to Alex. Edie was a remarkable woman . Thanks for capturing this image and sharing Edie with the world. Ron

Ken Spencer said...

Hi Ron: Thanks so much for your nice words. That portrait and the flowers were just beautiful, and a perfect centerpiece for the day. And it was so nice to meet you as well, and have a chance to talk. I am starting to get really curious about Idaho! :-)

Anonymous said...

Ken-
it was great meeting you at last. I've heard about you for 25 yrs! It was fun hearing the stories about Edie. She touched so many peoples' lives. It's nice that we could all gather to honor her.

I love your blog and will visit regularly!

best,
sean

Ken Spencer said...

Hi Sean: Thanks so much for your nice comments! It was wonderful meeting you and others at the gathering. I will have to get your email address - I NEED the recipe for the banana pudding!