Biography.guide
Home › People › Photographer › Carter Smith
Portrait of Carter Smith

Carter Smith

b. 1971

American photographer and film director

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Carter Smith

Born 1971. Carter Smith is an American photographer, film director, screenwriter and director.

Carter Smith (born September 6, 1971) is an American filmmaker and fashion photographer. He is best known for directing the films The Ruins, Jamie Marks Is Dead (2014), Swallowed (2022), and The Passenger (2023).

Early life and education Smith was born in Bowdoinham, Maine. After graduating from Mt. Ararat High School in 1989, he moved to New York City. He enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology but later dropped out to pursue a career in fashion photography.

Career Photography Smith has shot photo spreads for Vogue, GQ, and W Magazine, as well as numerous celebrity photo shoots.

Film Smith began directing commercials for clients such as Lancôme, Tommy Hilfiger and Tiffany's. In 2006, he directed the short horror film Bugcrush, based on a short story by Scott Treleaven. The film won the Short Filmmaking Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

Smith's feature film debut was a big-screen adaptation of Scott Smith's 2006 horror novel The Ruins. His short film Yearbook debuted at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Personal life Smith is openly gay.

Filmography Short film Year Title Director Writer Producer 1998 Me and Max 2006 Bugcrush 2011 Yearbook

Feature film Year Title Director Writer Producer 2008 The Ruins 2014 Jamie Marks Is Dead 2022 Swallowed 2023 The Passenger

Television Year Title Notes 2019 Into the Dark Episode: "Midnight Kiss"

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Mt. Ararat High School, Northview High School, New York Film Academy

People in Carter Smith's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Carter Smith's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Carter Smith?

American photographer and film director

When was Carter Smith born?

Carter Smith was born on 6 September 1971 in Topsham.

What is Carter Smith's occupation?

Carter Smith is a photographer, film director, screenwriter and director.

What nationality is Carter Smith?

Carter Smith is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Carter Smith

· Wikidata: Q5047214

· DBpedia: Carter Smith (filmmaker)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Carter Smith. https://biography.guide/carter-smith/

MLA: "Carter Smith." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/carter-smith/.

Chicago: "Carter Smith." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/carter-smith/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:06 UTC