Rising Stars: Meet Rob Smith

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

Hi Rob, so excited to have you with us today. Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and got to where you are today? You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like. What can you tell us about your story?
It all started back when I was around 7 or 8 years of age. My uncle, Steve, did a lot of photography. He would bring his camera to family events like Christmas and Thanksgiving to take family photos. Sometimes he would show me things on the camera and let me try them. Though it was a fancy film camera, we had some Polaroid and 110 cameras in the mix, where they would let me go and get some candid shots. Remember the cube flash that you would stick on the top of the 110 cameras? I toyed with those cameras and the Kodak Disc 4100 Film Camera, then they got fancier and fancier, and I followed along. In my sophomore year of high school, my mother and stepfather thought it would be great to purchase a ‘nice’ family camera, so they did a Canon AE-1 Programmer with a nice bag, a couple of lenses, and several roles of film. My mother, not so technically savvy, turned the camera over to my stepfather to run with. That didn’t last long, as it required care and feeding since it was a film camera, unlike what we have today. That’s where I came in. We had an art teacher at our high school that taught photography. Not just how to take photos but how to develop film in the darkroom. Unbeknownst to me, that camera was my escape to a new way of life. I was not the smart kid in school. Nor was I the jock. I got along with nearly everyone except for my parents, teachers, and anyone of authority. I was a kid, but I had a camera.

In my Junior and Senior years of high school, I was fortunate enough to get a gig in the photo club and started taking photos of sporting events. I took photos of my family, friends, and even my dog and grandparents’ dogs. I vividly recall my senior year in high school; the town newspaper editor got in touch with me and said he would give me four rolls of film if I covered the varsity football games home and away. I took him up on that, as he also mentioned he would develop the film for me and provide the best prints back. Additionally, he was publishing my photos in the town newspaper, which I thought made me famous. After high school, I quickly learned that developing film at 1-hour photos became very expensive. I did not shoot nearly as many photos then as I did when my film was being developed for me, so I stopped the focus and just lived life.

Fast forward to 2001, the time the Sony DSC-F707 came out. I was enamored 5.4mp of pure beauty with a Carl Zeiss lens (who I had no clue even who he was) and digital. I would not need to develop film any longer. I would photograph my family, friends, and anyone that would stand there and let me take a photo, as well as some that did not want me to take their photo. Social gatherings were a hit, as I would capture the night, and we could reflect the next day on how fun it was. Sometimes the folks in the photos would make me delete some, as they may or may not have been too much for public consumption. That era of time is when my past met my future and got me where I am today. Around 2008 is when I landed my first paying job. A good friend of mine had requested that I photograph her daughter for a high school senior shoot. I had yet to learn what to charge, how to go about it, how to edit, how to deliver photos back, etc. Over the past 15 years, I’ve gone to seminars, learned from other photographers, learned on my own by trial and error, and done quite a few online searches for an approach that works for me. I’ve found that creating my photographic style is an evolution that not only separates me from others but is easy for me to recognize when I see someone share a photo of mine. The bottom line, I still do not think I am the best photographer I can be. I am still evolving, learning, and aspiring to make art that satisfies my client’s soles and mine.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest challenge I face regarding photography is the technology and knowing when to grab new gear vs. staying put with what I have. I am a gear nerd and love new shiny stuff. Doesn’t everyone? My biggest challenge is the recent switch from DSLR to mirrorless. Of course, I have both, but understanding the nuances that come with each, like lens application, electronic viewfinder, and photo results, all come into play.

Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Three major companies have employed me in Kansas City over my professional career. I started as an order fulfillment processor at a distribution center. I moved through the operations departments running die-cut press operations, store bag print fulfillment, and some other things. I was coached into going to college after a few years of employment and got a bachelor of science degree in computer information systems. Subsequently, I received my master’s degree in management and leadership soon after. The degrees enabled me to advance my career with the first company. I soon realized an IT career was my specialty and began application development, help desk management, and project management. Once I reached a point where advancement would not happen where I was, I reached out to a second company and landed a technical leadership role within an infrastructure group. I spent around three years there and moved on to another company, where I landed a program manager role in the enterprise project management office (EPMO). After a couple of years there, I was promoted to enterprise program business partner, where I liaison between the operations portfolio, EPMO, and IT to ensure programs were delivered as designed. The technical aspect of getting the technical degree helps me understand the software and hardware side of photography. It’s like a puzzle that some may find difficult to complete. To me, it’s a challenge where the answer is always there; you have to find it.

I’m most proud of my accomplishments in my professional career and taking the advice of a mentor of mine at my first company. I still stay in contact with that mentor, who actually works for my current company. Serendipitous, to say the least. My experience in program management and learning to get along with people set me apart from others. My approach to photography is fast, fun, and fabulous. Boy, do I love to have fun on my shoots. Engaging my clients to make them feel comfortable is number one in my book. You will see it in the photos if they are uneasy due to nerves.

We’d like to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
I live by the saying, “I’d rather be lucky than good,” in life and playing pool. But the opportunity comes to those who are the best prepared to have a response. I wouldn’t say luck has to do anything about it, but more so fate. Another saying I go by is “Chance favors those who persist,” and persist I do. You must stay active in this industry. You will only succeed if you lay low and change with the market. Preparation, planning, and persistence are what I value the most. Sure, there are days when I don’t feel like picking up the camera. However, those are very few and far between. That way, when luck comes to town, I am ready.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.robsmithphotos.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/robsmithphotos
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/robsmithphotos
• Other: www.instagram.com/robsmithfaces

Image Credits
All image credits of my work are owned by Rob Smith Photography. Headshot credit of me on pub chair in hallway is given to Kenney Ellison with 3 Shots Photography