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Stanleytown, the town in Wales where I was born.
My
great grandfather (on left) with King Edward,
Porthcawl
where I went on holiday most years
The
morning light on red rocks in |
Silence has an eloquence surpassing that of speech; creating a space in which the heart's thoughts can resound and deeply-felt emotion can echo with a voice profound in another's heart that listens in the silence. (Howard Owen Smith) "When I first came to the American Southwest, it was difficult for me to comprehend its vastness. A place where the sky and horizon met below my feet and the stars formed a canopy so that the earth I slept on seemed like a cradle. Over the years that I've lived here, I have tried to place it in perspective in the context of my life in order to better understand my sphere of reality. I used to define my reality and my world by my limited experience, and in that way limited myself to the immense possibilities available to me. What I discovered, living in the Southwest with its wide open spaces, is just how much room there is in me to remember and rediscover the peace and center of my soul. I have learned that the beauty all around me is a reminder of the vast beauty inside me...much of which is still waiting to be explored..." I began life in the Rhondda valley, a coal mining community in South Wales, and in particular, in Stanleytown. While living there, I attended Stanleytown School while my dad worked at the mine in the valley below.
Some of my earliest memories include my going up the hill to school
and down the hill and over a bridge through the pit to the shops across
the valley. Every couple of weeks we would go to the local movie house
to see old western films. I can't help thinking now that at that time,
I unconsciously decided I would eventually live and wander in the wide
open spaces of the American Southwest. In 1966, my family moved to Yorkshire, England - more coal mines, steel mills and soot! Despite the blight of industry, we were surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain. My family spent four years there and for me, the word idyllic comes to mind when I recall that time in my life. High school and my teen years are mostly a blur now, but I did develop a love for photography when I bought my first movie camera around that time. In 1978, at the age of 22, I moved to Los Angeles where I began to study cinematography and film. I soon discovered that I preferred 'still' photography and chose to make it my medium of expression. During the ensuing ten years, I made many trips back to England and Europe, but decided to remain in the States and embarked on a career as a freelance photographer working for the City of Pasadena, Caltech, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra. Prior
to moving to Taos, New Mexico, in 1988, I had already made several trips
here visiting old friends and making new ones. When I decided to look
for a more serene living environment, Taos became the obvious choice.
Since moving to New Mexico, I have found many reasons to leave and only
one excuse to stay...I love it here in the ‘Great Southwest'.
There is a logic behind my decision to hitch up my wagon and settle
in this place I now call home. Taos is a place where I can raise my
family, breathe in the mountain air, and wander in the wide open spaces.
It also provides the inspiration for the images that you see on my website.
Geraint Smith © 2005 Taos, New Mexico
Clients AAA
New Mexico Journeys Magazine
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images are Copyright © Geraint Smith 2005 - 2011 |
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