About Ryan Smith
Living life in all directions: my Photography Journey
I’ve loved photography since I was young. My siblings and I would get disposable cameras to bring on vacation, and I remember always wishing the camera never ran out of “pictures.” I always loved watching family movies, viewing moments of my past captured and stored inside a little box. It was fascinating to me.
In high school, I took a photography class for the first time, and I was exposed to the wonderfully complex world of visual art. Since then, I have explored the fields of graphic design, photography, and digital media creation through several unexpected circumstances. I did go to college for graphic design… but I left in 2020, after at-home learning made me realize the traditional route wasn’t for me.
Since leaving my degree behind, I have continued photography as a hobby, and just started doing it professionally in 2023 with my current employer, Chameleon Pools and Patio. As well as being the social media manager there, I am also the pool designer, as well as the graphic designer! I have been blessed with the opportunity to refine my craft under the leadership there, and I hope to continue having opportunities like this so that I can learn and grow. Below I have included some of my favorite shots from my career there so far!
Journey Milestones
Photography has been a big part of my journey so far. But not all of it. I’m also very socially outgoing, and have been involved with my community ever since I can remember.
Boy Scouts
I’ve been involved with the BSA since I was a kid, and working at a Boy Scout summer camp was my first job. I’ve always been inspired by the ways of the Scouts, and my time at camp helped me understand the traits of a good leader, taught me to respect nature, and motivates me to help others whenever I can.
employment
In 2023, after working several different trade jobs, I picked up a job as a pool technician at Chameleon Pools and Patios in western NY. There, after a few months of service work, I was promoted to Social Media Manager and Marketing Coordinator, and after proving myself further I was promoted to full time Pool and Graphic Designer. It’s been a wild ride there, but I am happy to be of service, lending my creative talents through both photography and design work.
Clubs and Extracurriculars
In high school, I participated in musicals, art classes, robotics club, jazz band, select choir… the list goes on and on. I tried to stick my toe into every artistic class I could. Not only did I sing and act in the musicals, I also learned how to be a stage tech, lighting tech/designer, and a set designer! Thus started my journey of being interested in every angle of every endeavor I pursue. I believe I still carry that value at my current job, where I utilize my field knowledge to bolster my design work.
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