{"id":15372,"date":"2022-05-13T14:04:39","date_gmt":"2022-05-13T12:04:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1644928"},"modified":"2022-05-13T14:32:50","modified_gmt":"2022-05-13T12:32:50","slug":"radio-times-staff-photographer-don-smith-dies-aged-89-tribute-to-a-legend","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/radio-times-staff-photographer-don-smith-dies-aged-89-tribute-to-a-legend\/","title":{"rendered":"Radio Times staff photographer Don Smith dies, aged 89: Tribute to a legend"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\"><\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By Shem Law\n                \t\t<\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Friday, 13 May 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p><hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>Don Smith, the first and only <strong>Radio Times<\/strong> staff photographer, has died aged 89.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019d worked for the magazine since 1955, retiring in 1992. He took over a million pictures during his career. A career that wasn\u2019t, like so many celebrity photographers of the \u201950s and swinging \u201960s, particularly glamorous or flashy.<\/p>\n<p>It didn\u2019t involve fast cars and girlfriends who were models. It was always about the deadline with Don, about the sitter, the job and never about him.<\/p>\n<p>He would sometimes complete four or five assignments a day, practically living at the Television Centre or out on location, starting work incredibly early and often finishing late into the night.<\/p>\n<p>His legacy is an A to Z of BBC television productions stored safely in the Radio Times archive: on the set of <a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/tv\/sci-fi\/doctor-who-2022-specials-release\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">Doctor Who<\/a> one minute, photographing the genius behind the Magic Roundabout (Eric Thompson) in the Scottish Highlands the next.<\/p>\n<p>He met and photographed everyone who was anyone in TV\u2019s golden years, from Morecambe and Wise to Parky.<\/p>\n<div class=\"&quot;image-handler__container\" image-handler__container--full=\"\" style=\"&quot;padding-bottom:\" calc=\"\"> <picture><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C167,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/webp&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C167,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C198,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/webp&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C198,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C226,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/webp&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C226,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C308&quot;\" type=\"&quot;image\/webp&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(max-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C308&quot;\" type=\"&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(min-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C345&quot;\" type=\"&quot;image\/webp&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(min-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C345&quot;\" type=\"&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(min-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C227,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/webp&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(min-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C227,\" https:=\"\" type=\"&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(min-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C310&quot;\" type=\"&quot;image\/webp&quot;\"><source media=\"&quot;(min-width:\" data-srcset=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C310&quot;\" type=\"&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;\"><img class=\"&quot;wp-image-1644960\" align=\"\" size-full=\"\" image-handler__image=\"\" image-handler__image--full=\"\" no-wrap=\"\" js-lazyload=\"\" data-src=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Don-Smith-Stamp-3f526e8.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C345&quot;\" width=\"&quot;950&quot;\" height=\"&quot;529&quot;\" alt=\"&quot;&quot;\" title=\"&quot;&quot;\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><div class=\"&quot;caption-hold&quot;\"><figcaption class=\"&quot;wp-caption-text&quot;\"><span class=\"&quot;caption-copy&quot;\"><i class=\"&quot;icon-arrow\" icon-camera-circle=\"\"\/> Stamp reads \u2018Photograph by Don Smith\u2019<\/span><\/figcaption><span class=\"&quot;im-image-caption&quot;\"\/><\/div>\n<p>He was never starstruck and some became friends, others he didn\u2019t have time for, but he was always courteous and professional. Even when Don had retired he still came into the <strong>Radio Times<\/strong> offices every week to catch up and usually make new friends.<\/p>\n<p>He took nothing for granted, still keenly asking about how certain pictures where taken and demanding to know how developments like Photoshop were changing his industry.<\/p>\n<p>A modest and unique man who was our living link to the people that performed the same jobs that we do here at <strong>Radio Times<\/strong> over half a century ago and beyond. His RT \u201cfamily\u201d will miss his visits, questions and kindness very much.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Radio Times<\/strong> will pay to tribute to Don in the pages of <strong>Radio Times<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Read more: <strong><a href=\"&quot;https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/tv\/radio-times-don-smith-photo-gallery&quot;\">Radio Times\u2019 Don Smith photographs \u2013 from Doctor Who to Judi Dench<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"&quot;http:\/\/radiotimes.com\/magazine-subscription?utm_term=evergreen-article&quot;\">subscribe now<\/a>\u00a0and get the next 12 issues for only \u00a31. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the\u00a0<a href=\"&quot;https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/podcasts\/&quot;\">Radio Times podcast<\/a>\u00a0with Jane Garvey.<\/strong><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Shem Law Published: Friday, 13 May 2022 at 12:00 am Don Smith, the first and only Radio Times staff photographer, has died aged 89. He\u2019d worked for the magazine since 1955, retiring in 1992. He took over a million pictures during his career. A career that wasn\u2019t, like so many celebrity photographers of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":15373,"template":"","categories":[1,5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/05\/radio-times-staff-photographer-don-smith-dies-aged-89-tribute-to-a-legend.jpg",620,413,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/05\/radio-times-staff-photographer-don-smith-dies-aged-89-tribute-to-a-legend-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/05\/radio-times-staff-photographer-don-smith-dies-aged-89-tribute-to-a-legend-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/05\/radio-times-staff-photographer-don-smith-dies-aged-89-tribute-to-a-legend.jpg",620,413,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/05\/radio-times-staff-photographer-don-smith-dies-aged-89-tribute-to-a-legend.jpg",620,413,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/05\/radio-times-staff-photographer-don-smith-dies-aged-89-tribute-to-a-legend.jpg",620,413,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/05\/radio-times-staff-photographer-don-smith-dies-aged-89-tribute-to-a-legend.jpg",620,413,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Shem Law Published: Friday, 13 May 2022 at 12:00 am Don Smith, the first and only Radio Times staff photographer, has died aged 89. He\u2019d worked for the magazine since 1955, retiring in 1992. He took over a million pictures during his career. A career that wasn\u2019t, like so many celebrity photographers of the&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/15372"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}