Smoky Mountains And Beyond.com

I grew up in a little town in rural Ohio. I am proud to be from a small town. Some of the finest people I have known come from small communities. I spent my formative years around folks who are supportive, caring, and hard working. These folks love their country, want for little and watch out for each other.

I had a camera early in life. My dad gave me his old cameras, a Leica and a Rolleiflex, for my 12th birthday. I really got serious about my photography in my early twenties, when a friend and I decided to learn together, the hard way, by photographing anything that moved. If it didn't move, we took two photos. After realizing that I had picked the hard way to learn, I took classes in photography, followed by a degree in Fine Arts with a major in Photography.

Over the years, I have owned and operated three studios, worked for newspapers, photographed everything from brides to jars of baby food, and taught both ongoing classes and workshops in photography. 

Nature has always been my first love. Even after all these years, I still get excited by streams, waterfalls, the wind chimes of ice covered branches, rocks, sand patterns, and the bouquets of autumn leaves. The pleasure of watching, learning, and experiencing nature has always been greater than simply "taking a picture" of a natural subject.

My current work centers on images of Tennessee, Ohio, and West Virginia. Images that express my personal vision, a holistic vision of all things being in some way related.  Feel free to stay in touch at        steve@smokymountainsandbeyond.com