About Me — The Long Way Around

Photography has always been part of my life — long before I ever owned a serious camera.

I grew up traveling with my father, a professional photographer, and some of my earliest memories are shaped by what our family jokingly referred to as his “short cuts.” What should have been a two- or three-hour drive often turned into an all-day adventure. A simple detour would become a side road, then a trail, then something barely passable — all because my dad had spotted light, texture, or a landscape he couldn’t ignore.

One of those infamous short cuts is still family legend. We found ourselves on a logging road that simply ended — mountain to the left, cliff to the right, and barely enough room for the vehicle. My mother got out and guided my father, inch by inch, as he reversed us back down the mountain. At the time, it was terrifying. Looking back, it perfectly captures the spirit I grew up with: curiosity first, fear later, and trust in the journey.

Art runs deep in my family. My grandfather was a watercolor artist by trade, and that creative ability flowed naturally to my father and his sisters. I didn’t inherit that same gift with a brush, but creativity still found its way into my life. I discovered my artistic voice through design and craftsmanship, eventually founding Custom House Designs by Lang Smith, where I’ve spent more than 30 years creating fine homes and thoughtful spaces. Design taught me how to see proportion, light, balance, and detail — lessons that would later become essential behind the camera.

In 2021, after my mother passed away, my father came to visit me in Boise, Idaho. I wanted to show him some of the hidden landscapes surrounding the area — places most people pass by without ever really seeing. Over five days, we traveled more than 1,800 miles, nearly 1,300 of them on dirt and forest service roads. We were never more than 150 miles from Boise, yet it felt like we were deep in some of the most remote and stunning terrain imaginable.

That trip changed everything.

For nearly a week, it was just the two of us — exploring, talking, photographing, and taking more of those familiar “short cuts.” I learned more in those days than I could have imagined. Inspired and energized, I bought my first serious camera and lenses shortly after. I realized I was living in the middle of landscapes I’d spent my whole life chasing without fully knowing it.

What followed was an intense period of learning. I spent countless hours, weeks, and months studying photography and immersing myself in Photoshop — not to manipulate images, but to extract what I felt when I was there. My goal has always been to make a two-dimensional image feel alive: to convey mood, depth, and presence, and to invite the viewer into the experience rather than simply showing them a scene.

That journey continues today.

Now based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, I continue to explore landscapes near and far, always drawn to the long way around. I’m constantly learning, experimenting, and refining — not chasing perfection, but authenticity. If my work does its job, it encourages you to slow down, to feel something familiar or unexpected, and to see the world with just a little more curiosity.

Sometimes the best destinations are found by taking the scenic route..