His photograph of contrasting wilding pines, taken by drone near Ohau A power station, won the aerial photograph category, which was last year won by Emma Willetts, of Oamaru.
Mr Smith, who moved south from Rotorua about three years ago, said photography was a passion he had only discovered relatively recently.
"I kind of have always had the creative side of me.
"It just didn’t really click that photography was a thing I could do, because it always seemed like a lot of money, and I was never in the right space for it."
Since buying a camera, however, Mr Smith has not looked back, and a Pure Photo Adventures workshop with his photography "idols" Rach Stewart, Lee Cook and Daniel Murray three years ago, prompted his move south.
"I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s me, I’m going there’. So I did," he said.
Landscape and astrophotography are the "go-to" for the nature-lover, and working and living in the Mackenzie Basin offered plenty of opportunity for both, he said.
"I love being in nature, that’s for sure. I’m an outdoorsy person."
Mr Smith would love to become a full-time photographer, but he was aware portraiture was where most photographers managed to make their living.
"If I start absolutely upping my game, and keep going out exploring, it could take me places.
"I feel like since I’ve been down here, I’ve probably got my name out there a little bit more than I have up north, because small communities work like magic."
The people where he lived had been very supportive and he loved sharing his work with them, he said.
"I share what I see and how I see the Mackenzie with them through my eyes."
Mr Smith entered his picture of the contrasting pines into the NZ Geo competition, because he thought it fitted with entries he had seen in the past. He had entered in previous years, but never heard back.
"When I got the email saying I was a finalist, I was kind of like, ‘Are you sure? Did you make a mistake?’ Yeah, it was so surreal."
He travelled to Auckland for the announcement, and tried not to get his hopes up, although he thought he had had some "sly hints" that he might have won.
When the announcement was made, Mr Smith said his "heart was beating like crazy".
"I couldn’t believe it - absolutely unreal."
He received a trophy, certificate and prize money.
- By Ashley Smyth
