Dawnfire Photography

Dawnfire Photography is the photography of Asheville-based photographer J Smilanic. Born and raised in Colorado, J has a deep appreciation for mountainous scenery. What started as a way to document the amazing beauty found along his backpacking trips through the mountains of Western North Carolina, photography quickly became his passion and naturally paired quite nicely with his outdoor adventures. J’s images are largely captured within Pisgah National Forest which is nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Dawnfire’s vivid style of processing will have you feeling like you’re on location looking at the scene in person.

Life in Asheville lends itself well to WNC Landscape Photography since it is centrally located in the southern Appalachian Mountains – just a few miles from great locations like the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For better or for worse, one doesn’t have to travel far from Asheville to be surrounded by some of the most picturesque scenery you’ll find on this side of the country.

J offers one-on-one post-processing tutorials, either in person or online using screen sharing technology. 20+ years of experience using Adobe Photoshop has provided J with advanced editing techniques that allows him to make the most out of each image. The age of digital editing and blending allows endless opportunities for each photograph.

Watch “Searching For Fall in the Blue Ridge”