Conversations with Stu Smith

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stu Smith. 

Hi Stu, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I took a photography class (many years ago) while attending college in Iowa. After graduation, I moved to Colorado and used one of my graduation gifts – a Canon AE1 Program- to photograph many Colorado sites. Then pretty much left the camera behind for about thirty years…enter cellphone cameras…I would take pics and post to social media…viewer comments were positive…and so this journey really began! One thing led to another…my first DSLR with kit lenses…meeting my mentor who was kind enough to push me…and pushing myself to be better each time in the field…and next thing you know, it has been almost ten years, a few camera upgrades, and thousands of images…what fun it has been! 

What about My Kona Girl Photography? Kona my late Chesapeake Bay Retriever…was diabetic…after she went blind, I purchased my first DSLR. She was my constant companion…and the namesake for my business! 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are many early mornings…by that, I mean leaving home at 2 am to reach a particular destination prior to sunrise…or staying up all night to capture astrophotography images…there are the days spent in the field with no activity…to note, some of those days are very cold or very hot! There can be lots of downtimes…oh, but when “that” moment arrives and you are ready…all the waiting and early mornings seem to be forgotten! 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a professional wildlife/landscape photographer residing in Aurora, Colorado. This started out as a hobby and over the past ten years is beginning to turn into a nice little side business. My background is in accounting and finance…photography is a great release for my “creative” side. 

Pride takes many meanings…one of my favorites is hearing that people look forward to seeing my images…this was very prevalent in the early days of COVID…those who could not get out really let me know how happy they were with seeing my images…that means the world to me! 

I like to look for the angles and lighting that others may not see…that unique way of looking at our everyday world! 

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The ability to understand my subject and to relate what I see through the lens to those who view my images… 

Contact Info:

• Email: stu@mykonagirl.com
• Website: www.mykonagirl.com
• Instagram: @stuartsmith.123
• Facebook: My Kona Girl Photography