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A Q&A with the photographer from Summerfield.

HER CAREER

I'm a graphic designer, been doing graphic design for close to 20 years now. I've worked in a lot of different environments. I've worked in photography studios; I've worked in the corporate world. My last real official job was at Jefferson Pilot, and I was a creative director there for seven years, which was a great jumping off place for going back into the freelance world. That's what I'm doing now.

BEHIND THE CAMERA

I've always enjoyed photography and art since I was a little person. I was kind of a late bloomer. I went back to school in my 30s after I had my children. I always had an interest in writing children's books, so I took a graphic design program at GTCC and discovered there is a whole world out there that graphic design offers. I really got caught up in just doing different things in marketing and design, and of course, photography was part of the program, and I absolutely love photography. As I got out of school, the opportunities for graphic design were better than photography. So I kept photography as more of a hobby, which probably made it more fresh and more fun.

HER SON'S INSPIRATION

Christopher was 25 years old and had a rare form of sarcoma. It was so rare he got his treatment in Houston. He battled cancer for two and a half years. His surgery was successful and the doctors claimed him cancer-free for six months, but then it came back. He passed away in 2004. He was very inspirational, very brave, unfaltering. It is a big part of why I get up and get up and do things that I do.

WHY PHOTOGRAPHY

Primarily because of some of the life changes that I've gone through -- the downsizing from the workplace I was at and that whole experience of going through my son's illness and his death was very life-altering. It really changes your perspective on what's important to you.

I worked for non-profits, did some graphic design for them and also some photography for them. I was able to feel like I was doing something that meant something that was worthwhile; it was soul food.

Two years ago, I had a riding accident and broke my back, so that really made things challenging for working. So photography has really become one of my outlets for healing. For me it's something I have to do to get better.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY IN A TIMELESS ART

I work a lot in Photoshop, and I absolutely can get lost in that. It can take several days just to get the image the way I want it to be. I work a lot in layers. I like to merge images from different themes together. I'll incorporate flowers and horses or even downtown buildings that are usually cold and stark -- you don't think it's a warm and fuzzy thing, but with the right lighting and the things you merge with it, it can be quite a lovely thing to look at.

I also use a program called Painter. It's really like painting, you just don't have the mess to clean up. You take pieces and parts of images and merge them together and actually create the type of brushes you want to use in the medium you want to use.

HER LOVE OF HORSES

It's kind of funny, I've always had this fascination with horses as a tiny person. I always fanaticized about having my own horse. Living in the city, I was never able to do that. My grandfather lived on a farm, and we would visit him, so I would get my horse fix from time to time, so I was able to nurture that fascination.

I got Limerick; he was my first horse, probably 10 years ago. After my son passed away, I acquired my other horses. I have an old school horse (who is 37) and a Shetland pony. I got those for my grandkids thinking they would like them.

I got the Appaloosas because my grandson needed something bigger that he could ride. My grandchildren lost interest in them, but I still love them!

Horses just have this inner beauty and this spirit. To me it's like watching the ocean, watching them interact with each other. I get a lot of therapeutic value. It is like soul food for me.

HER FAVORITE THINGS TO PHOTOGRAPH

I like to shoot old things. I really enjoy making something old show the beauty that it has. I like shooting old barns and old buildings.

Recently, I did some shots downtown in Reidsville of the architecture. I like looking at the details, pulling things that most people don't even notice and making that come alive. I like catching something you would miss, really slowing the pace down. I like working with shadows and reflections. I shoot primarily later in the day. I like the warm light in later afternoon and twilight; it just makes everything really soft.

MOTIVATION

I like to think that I have a unique way of looking at the world. I try to find something beautiful in the ordinary. I love being outdoors. I think there's something really healing about being there. So, I incorporate my photography with being outside. It's a very therapeutic thing for me, and I hope that I share that and it translates into the images I take. It's the driving force; it keeps me getting up every day. There's all these feelings that are caught inside you. It's pretty much the only way to get them out.

-- Laura Smith

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