When Mona Sturges was in junior high school she won a poster contest sponsored by the Red Cross.  The prize she chose was a camera and that was the beginning of her lifelong interest in photography.  She had her own darkroom in high school and took numerous photographs of friends and family.  Now she uses a computer to process and manipulate her work.

Photography has always played a part in her life, often as an aspect of her employment and often just for the sheer joy of capturing the moment.

Mona has had the opportunity to work overseas in various assignments beginning with the Peace Corps in 1987 and most recently with the United Nations in East Timor.  These assignments have allowed her to live and work in different cultures and to capture them on film.  In addition, extensive travel in Asia and the Pacific has also provided her with the chance to seek out unusual locations and subjects.  "But there are great photographs everywhere, often right in your own back yard" she says

Her formal training consists of various classes and workshops including the Nikon School of Photography, the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program, and the Maine Photo Workshops.

Born in Canada, she is currently based in San Diego California, USA.