Western NY Barn Wedding - Photography by Kirsten Smith

I’ve been in love with taking photographs since I was a little girl. Back then, I would steal my dad's film camera and take pictures of my Barbie dolls. I would also BEG my parents to get me a disposable camera to take on class trips with me.

It was in a high school photography class when I realized my passion for photography. I obtained my first DSLR camera as a senior in high school. I loved taking photos of my friends doing bizarre poses in unconventional locations.

I’m fairly new to the game, I’ve been taking portraits for about 5 years and shooting weddings for about 3 years now. Every photo shoot is a learning experience for me. I’m always finding new things I can improve on.

IMG_8877-1-2-2IMG_8752-1-2IMG_8789-1My favorite thing about photography is capturing the personalities and relationships between people. That’s probably why engagement and wedding shoots are my favorite. I love capturing the love that two people share, along with the relationships they share with all of their family members and friends. IMG_0088-1IMG_0099-1IMG_0232-1-1IMG_0233-1-1-21IMG_0170-1-2-2 IMG_0184-1-2     Something I like to focus on at weddings is all of the details in the decor, venue and attire. So much of the bride and groom’s personalities are poured into the details throughout the day, so I do my best to capture everything from the favors, guestbook and escort cards, to the bride’s shoes and jewelry.IMG_0000-1-2IMG_0245-1IMG_0026-1-2

I chose to share Eliza and Andy’s wedding because I loved how their personalities shined through each tiny detail. They chose a gorgeous newly renovated barn as their venue and decorated with rustic accents and pops of peach in the flowers.

IMG_0489-1-2IMG_0540-1-2IMG_0511-1 I went to high school with Eliza, so when she asked me to photograph her engagement photos and wedding, I was ecstatic. I remember when we were 12 years old making up dances to the songs from the Broadway musical “Wicked”.

One of my favorite elements of the wedding – Eliza opted for a MAN of honor and BridesMEN, (her brothers), along with one bridesmaid, (her sister), while her fourth brother officiated the ceremony. This was such a unique element that I had never seen or heard of before. IMG_0250-1-1-21-2IMG_0300-1-27-2

Her father/daughter dance was a medley of various songs including Paper Planes by M.I.A. They had everyone laughing hysterically.IMG_0755-1-2IMG_0768-1-2Eliza also tied in her love for animals. She recently opened up her own dog grooming business, so her golden dog statues that held all of the guests’ escort cards was such a perfect detail.IMG_0015-2It seemed like every time I attempted to photograph Eliza & Andy, the weather would go into utter disarray. A hurricane was passing through the day we planned on doing their engagement photos. We snapped a few shots with her dogs and horses before throwing in the towel and finishing up the next day. Then, on their wedding day we had to dodge thunder and lighting. Despite the crazy weather, they remained positive and enthusiastic and we were able to come up with some beautiful shots.IMG_0358-1-2IMG_0414-1-2

COMPANY: Photography by Kirsten Smith

WEBSITE: http://www.photographybykirstensmith.com

SOCIAL: Facebook

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