From the time she was a student at Unionville High School, Kelly Smith always knew she wanted to be a photographer.
As a kid growing up in Kennett Square, Smith was heavily influenced by local art. The work of Andrew Wyeth, a famous painter that grew up in Chadds Ford, piqued her interest in fine arts from a young age.
In a film photography course the rest of her classmates treated as a study hall, she quickly developed a passion and obsession with taking pictures.
After high school, Smith continued her education at the University of Miami where she double-majored in photography and advertising. Although she liked both, she ultimately had to pick one in order to succeed. After much contemplation, Smith chose photography and hasn’t looked back.
The day after graduating college, Smith drove up from Miami to move back home. A week later, she started her position as the photographer at United By Blue and hasn’t left since. United By Blue is an outdoor clothing company based in Philadelphia.
They pride themselves on their positive impact on the environment. For every product sold, a pound of trash is removed from the earth’s oceans.
Smith is lucky enough that she gets to do what she loves for a living. Because of the outdoor nature of her job, she gets to travel on a regular basis, which is something she loves to do. One of her favorite hobbies is hiking and she is very grateful that she gets sent to some of the most beautiful places in the country for her job.
What keeps her going is the ability to travel with her job and doing what she loves every day. Her job often takes her to the country’s most beautiful mountains and oceans.
When Kelly Smith is not at United By Blue, she can still be found behind the viewfinder of her Canon 5D Mark. Smith takes photographs for weddings, portraits and boudoir sessions. She has also worked with Urban Outfitters, Starr Restaurants and hip-hop legend RZA.
Amanda Saleh is a fourth-year communication studies major with minors in journalism and Arabic. She can be reached at AS821872@wcupa.edu.