Guest Blogger: Aron Smith

Today’s Guest Blogger is Aron Smith, she is going to talk about Collin Smith Photography:

Okay, so I’m excited about this. Probably a little more excited than I should be. Here’s the thing…I LOVE the Flossip! I have no idea who she is, but I love her! I mean, this site takes a ton of time, I’m sure. And she writes all of these posts, promoting this town that I love, and receives no credit for it. She doesn’t have to do that. And some days, she probably doesn’t really want to do that. But she does, for the people of good ol’ Flo-town. So thanks, Flossip! We really appreciate it! I once thought that I wanted to know who you are, but now I’m not so sure. Then the mystery and fun would be over. And I enjoy this way too much!
Now, to introduce myself…I’m Aron Cannon Smith. Born and raised in this tiny town that’s growing bigger by the minute. When growing up in Florence I always said “I’ll NEVER live here as an adult!” I really thought that the first thing I would do when I graduated from Florence Christian School would be to move far away and return only for short weekend visits with the FABULOUS family that I was sure to have. Why? I have no idea. I mean, what was so bad about my childhood that I would not want to raise my kids here? I had loving parents and brothers, great friends, a wonderful church family, and just enough to do on the weekends but not so much that I got into any real trouble. Really, I couldn’t imagine a better place to raise kids. Long story short, here’s how my life after High School went…attended USC (Go Gamecocks!!!), met the PERFECT boy, fell in love with and married the PERFECT boy, graduated USC, moved to Greenville, and moved back to Florence after Perfect boy convinced me that it’s what we needed to do. And I’m THRILLED with his decision for our family!
I married Collin Smith (not a local…his only flaw ?), and in 2001 he opened a portrait photography studio in Florence. Collin M. Smith Portrait Photography. I have to admit, I had my doubts about coming home. But he was persistent, and I finally caved. This is definitely the place that we were supposed to be! Two kids (See? I did get that fabulous family that I dreamed of as young college girl!) and nearly eight years of business later, we are ready to give back to this community that we love so much. And we want to do it in a REALLY HUGE way. But in order to do it, we need your help. Collin and I LOVE kids. It’s the main focus of this business that we have created. Sure, we do weddings, and don’t get me wrong, we absolutely adore our brides (and grooms!), but our hearts just love the beautiful children of Florence. We have been blessed with two very healthy children, and are so thankful for that. But through the years we have also met children who have faced some very tough health issues. And it just hurts me to see them and their parents dealing with these awful issues. One of the many wonderful things about Florence in my opinion is the Mcleod Children’s Hospital and their association with the Children‘s Miracle Network. It helps so many sick children every day, and I am so thankful for it. I love knowing that it is there, and pray that no one I know ever has to use it. But, it’s there. And that’s what matters.

So, here’s our plan.

“The Hundred Dollar Project”

One hundred dollars. Yes, in these tough economic times one hundred dollars can feel like a lot. But what if you got something really great for it? Like a beautiful family portrait? Or a timeless image of your baby girl at three months of age? Or your 5 year old son captured forever in a portrait that will hang on your wall for many years to come? We are offering something at Collin M. Smith Portrait Photography this year that we have never done before. For one hundred dollars, we will take your portrait and then GIVE YOU THAT DIGITAL FILE.  These will be a specific style of session done at a specific time or event.  It is a beautiful look that is very versatile, and designed to let the personality of the subject shine through.  I actually have used this look to decorate the wall up my staircase…I LOVE it!

But not only that, we will donate at least 50% of the revenue to The Children’s Miracle Network. What would you do with a digital file? Nearly every week at the studio we hear the question “How much for the digital file of that image?” Our answer? $7000, the price of the most expensive portrait you could ever leave our studio with. We simply DO NOT sell digital files. We are doing it now solely for the purpose of raising money to help an organization that is dear to our hearts. When you receive this file, your options are limitless. We will provide you with information about the resources that are available for you to get the product that you want from this digital file. Maybe you want a large family portrait to hang over your mantle or sofa. Maybe you want to purchase several files and create a wall collage going up your staircase or hanging in your hallway. You will want to have smaller prints made for grandparents, aunts and uncles, or friends. Put the images on a digital picture frame, create a beautiful Christmas Card, decorate your blog or Facebook page…there are so many options for what you can do with this file! And we will tell you how to do it! We all want beautiful portraits of the people that we love. Not only are we making easier financially for people to get these portraits, but you will also be helping a child who is sick or hurt. What could possibly be more fulfilling than that?
How does this sound to you? Want to get involved? GREAT! That’s what we want! We are looking for families, schools, businesses, office groups, churches…ANYONE willing to help. A group of friends could even get together to host a “Portrait Party” to benefit the cause. Contact us! You can email me at or call the studio at 843-665-4646. Also, we have a post on our blog that will show more images and go into more detail about the Hundred Dollar Project. Check it out at http://www.cmsmithportraits.com/blog. Collin and I are SO EXCITED about this project! Together I feel that we can truly help the children of Florence. Let us know what you think!