The Smiths Photography

Amy and Jackson Smith are used to saving the day. Delivering a forgotten veil. Scooping up the bridal party when their limo breaks down halfway to the ceremony. Running to get grandma a comfortable chair or the groomsmen a bucket of chilled beer.
 
It’s these moments that transcend the job for the Charlottesville wedding photographer duo.
 
“It’s the best when you get to feel like you’re a superhero,” Jackson says. “We have tons of stories…maneuvering around a rainstorm, saving the flowers. Being able to be helpful on that day always makes us feel really good.”
 
Amy and Jackson met, fell in love and got married in Charlottesville and, since 2014, have shot over 100 weddings at more than 60 venues. Amy realized her passion for photography in high school, earning a fine arts degree from Christopher Newport University. Jackson grew up dabbling in his father’s darkroom. After completing grad school for environmental science at UVA, he bought 100 rolls of film and headed to Costa Rica for two months to shoot the landscape and culture. He brought that portfolio back to Charlottesville and landed a commercial photography apprenticeship.
 
Jackson started his own commercial photography business and Amy came to work with him as an assistant. She decided to launch her own wedding photography business and she and Jackson started dating and shooting weddings together. Eventually, they combined their two photography businesses.
 
“Having the support of each other and learning to work seamlessly was amazing,” Jackson says. “It’s great to see and be an emotional part of couples’ days.”
 
The Smiths cherish every wedding’s peculiarities. The people, the details and the weather are all important parts in telling the story of your day. “Our aim is to highlight those nuances,” Amy says. “To record the joy and do it in a way that looks a little bit different.”
 
The Smiths describe their style as relaxed, genuine and happy, calling on the art of photography to showcase true personality and capture raw, unfiltered emotion.
 
“As far as the look of the images, we aim to edit them in a way that’s timeless, so when you look back on your pictures in 20 years, you’re brought right back to the day like it was yesterday,” Jackson says.
 
Wedding shoots flow seamlessly, with the husband-wife team splitting up to capture wedding party primping and preparations. Amy is capturing the beautiful details and tender family portraits while Jackson photographs the laughs and intimate emotional flashes.

“People think of weddings as happy and joyful, but there are other emotions that go along with it as well. And we want to capture those. Sometimes we go with a modern, clean shot. Sometimes you want all the chaos of the getting ready room, the smiles, the tears, the wine glasses, the makeup everywhere,” says Amy.