Mark K. Smith

I started taking pictures at age 8 after receiving a Kodak Brownie camera from my grandmother. She helped with my �habit� as she would take my exposed film, have it processed by the drugstore she worked for, and would return my prints with a new roll of film. My father bought an SLR for me when I was 14 and furthered me along by not only teaching me to fish but to develop my film as well. Two years later he passed away and ironically through that I was able to attend Rochester Institute of Technology where I received a BS in professional photography. I drifted away from actively taking pictures and noticed I was starting to forget some of what I had learned. To challenge myself I started teaching photography at a local venue and eventually landed a position as an adjunct faculty for photography at the Community College of Aurora, in Aurora, CO. In 2000, I started with Pentax and I�m now doing both jobs as well as shooting part time. My main subjects have always been people and nature but recently, I met a wonderful woman who shares my passion for photography and introduced me to international travel, so I�ve added travel photography to the list. Last but not least, I borrowed an underwater housing and camera on a trip to Cozumel. I am now certified for scuba with a professional and have added underwater photography to my subjects of interest.