Dan Smith is a visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker from Durham, North Carolina.

Raised in a rural community outside Durham, Dan spent the better-part of a decade in Washington, D.C., as a national security policy analyst, before returning to his hometown, to start a family, in 2006. Currently, he tells stories and instills community as Chief Creative Officer for Dos Avocados, a storytelling startup. He previously served as Social Media Manager at Cary Academy, Student Programs Manager at the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, and Assistant Director of Programs and Outreach at the Duke University Center for International Studies. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the George Washington University and  an M.F.A. in Experimental and Documentary Arts from Duke University.

Predominantly self-taught, since 1992, he has photographed a broad range of subject-matter, ranging from professional and amateur athletics, landscapes, catalog products, architecture, professional motorsports, international aviation events, the changing nature of southern culture and the human figure. At its heart, his artwork is concerned with the way we regard one-another.

Dan’s photographs and films are part of the permanent collection at the Archive of Documentary Arts at Duke University and are included in numerous private collections. His work has been featured in Bit and Grain, The New York Times, Revista Samuel, and Clear Nude, amongst others.