My story

February 2019…you’re looking at 19 year old me doing my first year at university. I am studying the degree of my choice. I’m doing an undergrad diploma in English with the best university in Zimbabwe (at least that’s what they told us) and to me the world is an oyster.

Fast forward 2020 the world has been hit by a global pandemic I am having a dilemma of my own. I am not happy with the quality of education I am getting, it feels like I was sold a dream. University isn’t anything like I thought it'd be, I’m not learning the skills to make me a more creative writer, instead I’m learning how to be an academic writer, there's a difference.

So what do I do? my friends and I pick up our cameras one day and we start shooting. As it’d turn out on this graduation day we land our very first client…long story short we get paid and we fail to deliver on the promise. But remember we do manage to get paid that’s the imparting thing. This would leave an impression on me…so if I do this right I can actually get paid to take photos? Wooow lightbulb moment!

Fast forward we’re now in the heat of covid and the university is asking for exorbitant fees and I’m failing all my assignments, I ask myself why I’m even bothering. So I quit…very much to the dismay of my parents. It’d take another three years to repair that relationship.

So I picked up a camera and decide that this is what i wanna do for the rest of my life. I love this thing and most importantly I can even get paid to do what I love…how cool right? But it wasn’t that easy. So for those few years I’d go ahead and nest myself under other photographers whom I idolised and I’d gain the necessary skills and knowledge about the business of photography. These men I’ve mentioned in my photography book entitled Maonero, which is available for purchase on my website and Amazon.

It'd take a few more attempts at launching my business on my own and each time I was always faced with challenges, and I’d always be forced to close down due to cashflow outages, so it wasn’t easy. But I didn’t give up…I held on for dear life because really my life depends on this working out.

What you are now looking at is a much more mature version of that passionate young man who just had a dream in college in 2019, my goal in life is to help people share their stories. In a world where there’s information overload there’s barely room enough for genuine stories.

I've just launched my company Smith’s Image and Ink a photography and publishing company, with the core mandate of creating a platform where your stories are heard and portrayed in a manner that best reflects on your experiences. Take this time to engage with me go on to the contact page and let us tell your story.