My Story

Welcome to My Kona Girl Photography by Stu Smith

I reside in Aurora, Colorado and have had a passion for the outdoors since growing up in Iowa. Shortly after graduating college, the mountains began to call, and Colorado has been home since 1984. I took a photography class in college…the black & white film days…but it was my Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Kona, who inspired me to purchase my first DSLR camera! From that time, it has been nothing short of an amazing adventure – funny how a camera opens a whole new world of friendships, sights, and experiences! So, enjoy your tour through the My Kona Girl site…the image library on this site is but a small piece of my entire library – and both are growing every month…should there be a particular image you are seeking and do not see it here…please contact me directly…I may have it.

My work has been published by National Geographic Online, Colorado Life Magazine, Ducks Unlimited and Gun Dog Magazine. Along this crazy-cool photography adventure, I have also been fortunate to have won first prize and top 250 highly commended image accolades from the Audubon Society of Greater Denver’s “Share the View International Photo Contest,” was named Editor’s Choice by Colorado Life Magazine in 2019 for my “Fox and Vole” image, and was the first – place winner of the North American Nature Photography Association’s (NANPA) 2018 Nature Photography Day photo contest.

“Capturing life, one image at a time…”
Thank you for visiting & make this a great day!