Brant Smith Photography Portraits, events, and stories from behind the lens

Brant Smith Photography

Portraits, events, and stories from behind the lens

Latest Articles

What to Ask an Event Photographer Before You Sign (So You Don’t Get 300 Podium Shots)
Event Photography

What to Ask an Event Photographer Before You Sign (So You Don’t Get 300 Podium Shots)

Booking event coverage is less about finding a pretty portfolio and more about hiring for the photos your team will actually need on Monday. Here are the questions I wish every client asked before signing — usage rights, low-light experience, candid balance, and how to brief the moments that matter.

When the Sky Has Other Plans: Building a Rain Plan Into Outdoor Portrait Sessions
Portrait Sessions

When the Sky Has Other Plans: Building a Rain Plan Into Outdoor Portrait Sessions

A forecast isn’t a verdict, and a rain plan isn’t a failure. Here’s how I scout covered locations, set expectations early, and use overcast light so outdoor portrait sessions feel calm—even when the radar looks dramatic.

Cleanup, Not a New Face: Where I Draw the AI Line in Portrait Retouching
Post-Production

Cleanup, Not a New Face: Where I Draw the AI Line in Portrait Retouching

AI retouching can remove a blemish in seconds—and a person’s whole recognizable face just as fast. Here’s the line I hold in 2026, how I explain it to clients, and why knowing when to stop has become part of the service.

The Frame They Keep Coming Back To: A Better Way to Run Portrait Proofing
Portrait Sessions

The Frame They Keep Coming Back To: A Better Way to Run Portrait Proofing

The proofing session is not a test where clients pick the objectively best smile. It is a guided conversation about which frame feels like them today, next year, and on the wall. Here is the framework I use to make that choice easier.

Walk In Early, Read the Room: A Quick Light Map for Event Days
Event Photography

Walk In Early, Read the Room: A Quick Light Map for Event Days

Before the first guest checks a coat or finds the bar, a venue is just a room full of clues. Here is the five-minute walkthrough I use to map window light, ceiling height, color temperature, and the places where flash will actually earn its keep.

The Object in the Frame: Portrait Sessions Built Around One Thing That Matters
Portrait Sessions

The Object in the Frame: Portrait Sessions Built Around One Thing That Matters

A single meaningful object can unlock a portrait session. Here is how I invite clients to bring one, put it to work without turning the shoot into a still life, and build images that feel like visual stories rather than standard headshots.

Ten Minutes, One Good Headshot: Running a Team Photo Day Without the Waiting-Room Gloom
Event Photography

Ten Minutes, One Good Headshot: Running a Team Photo Day Without the Waiting-Room Gloom

An on-site team portrait day does not have to feel like a DMV line. Here is the practical system I use to light a bland conference room, move people through efficient ten-minute slots, and deliver headshots employees will actually use.

Your Phone Already Got It. Here's What It Didn't Get.
Event Photography

Your Phone Already Got It. Here's What It Didn't Get.

Modern phones and AI-assisted edits have made a decent image almost free. That's a convenience win, not a replacement. An honest look at what a snapshot captures, what it misses, and how to know which moment you're in.

Fifteen Minutes, One Full Story: Mini-Sessions That Don't Feel Like a Sample Platter
Portrait Sessions

Fifteen Minutes, One Full Story: Mini-Sessions That Don't Feel Like a Sample Platter

Short sessions get a bad rap, and some of it is earned. Here's the timeline, shot sequence, and delivery habits that let a 15-minute portrait slot read like a complete story instead of a rushed preview.

The Gallery Is Not the Finish Line: Making Event Photos Work After Delivery
Event Photography

The Gallery Is Not the Finish Line: Making Event Photos Work After Delivery

Event coverage does not end when the gallery link lands. It ends when the photos do useful work. Here is a practical handoff guide for planners, marketers, and families who need to turn hundreds of event images into hero shots, story sequences, social crops, press-ready files, and clear usage permissions.

What the Walls Are Doing to Your Skin: A Portrait Location Walkthrough
Portrait Sessions

What the Walls Are Doing to Your Skin: A Portrait Location Walkthrough

A room starts coloring your portrait long before the camera comes out. This walkthrough shows how walls, windows, floors, and nearby surfaces shape skin tones, plus a practical scouting checklist for photographers and a plain-English way for clients to choose a location that flatters everyone in the frame.

Before the Camera Comes Out: Nine Calm Choices for Holiday Family Portraits
Portrait Sessions

Before the Camera Comes Out: Nine Calm Choices for Holiday Family Portraits

Holiday family photos rarely fall apart because nobody knows how to smile. They fall apart because too many small decisions get pushed to session day. Here are nine practical choices that make late-fall and winter portraits feel calmer, more natural, and more like your actual family.

Let the Room Talk: Why Intentional Candid Coverage Beats a Stiff Shot List
Event Photography

Let the Room Talk: Why Intentional Candid Coverage Beats a Stiff Shot List

The best event galleries are not built from a stack of stiff lineups. They come from a photographer who knows the schedule, reads the room, and waits for the moments that actually explain the day. This is an opinionated guide to briefing candid coverage for weddings, corporate events, and community gatherings.