Doug Smith certainly has the Midas touch, at least when it comes to photography. Give him a camera, and he will not only capture golden moments, but win top awards in the process. Chattanooga’s 2007 Riverbend Festival won its third consecutive Gold Pinnacle Award from the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) in the category of Best Festival Photograph thanks to the talents of Doug Smith, a self-taught digital photographer. For those of you not familiar with IFEA, this is really big as this 62 category competition held between approximately 2,000 member festivals for recognition of event promotions is extremely fierce. Festivals of all sizes from all over the world such as Disney World, the Kentucky Derby, Dublin Ireland’s Irish Festival, the Tournament of Roses, and Macon, Georgia’s Cherry Blossom Festival, to name a few, compete for top honors. With over half a million attendees, Riverbend Festival ranks as one of the largest festivals in the world. Capturing the essence of such an event is challenging, to say the least, and Doug Smith has won this much coveted top award not once, but three times in a row, which speaks volumes about the talent of this humble man.                   

 

With all his success, it is surprising to note that Smith, a Dalton, Georgia, resident, hasn’t always been a professional photographer. “I’m originally a native of Chicago, Illinois. I studied Business Administration at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee, and took pictures for years mainly for personal pleasure. I moved to the South after graduation for business reasons and eventually help start WDNN, a Dalton TV Station where I served as Operations Director,” he explains. However, the camera bug would not let go. “I started out as a volunteer photographer for the Riverbend Festival in 1995 and cannot say enough good things about the Riverbend people and the festival. In addition to taking pictures on the Coke Stage, I help meet and greet people. The festival, because of its scope and size, is a great place for a photographer to experiment taking pictures. I shot the 2007 photo, an image taken at night that includes colorful fireworks, boats in the river and the large crowds of people on land enjoying the music from the top of the Ocean Aquarium and will continue to volunteer for Riverbend for as long as they want me to,” he continued.

 

Realizing that photography makes him “look forward to getting up each morning,” Smith decided to become a full time photographer, establish On-Fire Photo and join the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). He now specializes in taking pictures of his favorite subjects: sports, sporting events, and team group shots because he “loves sports and loves being a part of people’s lives, especially the part that captures happy memorable moments.” Smith says that he is the official photographer for several events and schools in the Dalton, Georgia area. “Dalton is a great community. I have also taken pictures at the Susan B. Komen Race, weddings, and most recently McCallie School in Chattanooga, he adds.

 

 

Doug Smith’s advice to photographers just starting out is to “just do it,” and he says, “ Photography is something you just have to keep doing in order to get better at it. There’s always something to learn. One can always improve because technology is always getting better. You can’t worry about what you don’t know. It’s like playing golf--the only person you compete with is yourself. Think about snowflakes and how they are similar and different at the same time, yet all uniquely beautiful in their own way. All you have to do is try---be patient with yourself, and good results will eventually happen.”

 

            Pictures not only have the magical ability to capture the moment, but they also serve to depict us as we would like to be seen, perhaps even “immortalize” us. Today’s technology and the skills of talented individuals such as Doug Smith who know how to put people at ease capture and bring out the best of their subjects, making this type of celebratory memory- keeping all the more possible. For more information, visit: www.onfirephoto.com; e-mail: onfirephoto@optilink.us or call 706-278-1819.