What Makes a Boutique Photography Experience Different?
The word boutique gets used loosely in photography. Here's what it actually means at Smyer Image: one photographer, a planned experience, and wall art designed around your home instead of a gallery link you'll forget to open.
What Is an In-Home Reveal and Why Does Smyer Image Do It?
An in-home reveal replaces the traditional digital gallery with a curated set of 4x6 prints and real-size projections of your family portraits on your own walls. You experience the photographs first, then decide whether you want artwork.
Why Most Families Never Get Their Photos on the Wall
Most families have thousands of photographs but very few on their walls. Here's why that happens, and how the Smyer Image experience helps turn family photographs into something you actually live with.
How Many Photos Do You Get from a Family Session?
How the Smyer Image Family Portrait Experience Works, From Session to Wall Art
The portrait session is only one part of the Smyer Image experience. Learn how planning, photography, an in-home reveal and custom wall art come together to create family portraits designed for your home.
What Does a $1,500 Family Portrait Experience Actually Look Like?
What does a $1,500 family portrait experience actually include? See how Smyer Image combines planning, photography, an in-home reveal, printed photographs, and custom wall art into one complete experience.
Why Golden Hour Makes Better Family Portraits
Every session I book is timed around the last hour of light before sunset. Here's what golden hour actually does to a family portrait, and why it's worth the evening logistics.
What Makes Smyer Image Different From Other Utah Family Photographers?
Smyer Image is different because the photography session is only part of the experience. From planning to the in-home reveal and finished wall art, every step is designed to help your family photographs become part of your home.
What Happens During a Family Photo Session When Your Kids Won’t Cooperate?
Worried your kids won't cooperate for family photos? Here's what actually happens during a Smyer Image session when children are distracted, restless, shy, or simply being themselves.
How to Choose Wall Art for Your Living Room Using Family Portraits
Most people think about the photograph first and the wall second. Here's how to approach wall art the right way: starting with the room, getting the size right, and choosing between canvas and framed pieces for your living room.
How to dress for fall family photos in Utah
Fall is the most requested season for family portraits in the Salt Lake Valley, but choosing what to wear can be harder than choosing where to take the photos. Here’s how to choose colors, layers, patterns, and outfits that complement Utah’s fall landscape and look beautiful on your walls.
How to Feel and Look Confident for the Camera
Feeling confident in front of the camera has less to do with being photogenic and more to do with getting comfortable. Learn how posing, movement, a little science, and having some fun can help you look natural and confident in your photographs.
Why Fall Family Photos in Utah Are Worth Booking Early
The fall window for family portraits in the Salt Lake Valley is about six weeks. Here is why it fills faster than it looks from the outside, what fall light actually produces, and why the families who get the sessions they want are the ones who planned in August.
Scouting Shields Lane Park for Family Photos in South Jordan
Shields Lane Park on the Jordan River Parkway is one of my favorite spots to photograph families in South Jordan. Here's what I found scouting it: three distinct backdrops, easy access, and light that turns gold right before sunset.
Scouting Bingham Creek Regional Park for Family Photos in South Jordan
I went on a weekday evening to see what the light does at Bingham Creek Regional Park before bringing families. Here is what I found, including the one timing detail that changes everything about shooting there.
Book Your Fall Family Photos Now: What You Need to Know
If you are reading this in August, you are right on time. If you are reading it in September, you might be cutting it close. Here is what you need to know about booking fall family portraits in the Salt Lake Valley before the calendar fills.
Photographing Extended Families What to Expect
Extended family sessions are some of the most meaningful work I do and the ones that require the most planning. Here's what goes into a multi-generation session in the Salt Lake Valley, from logistics to what the art looks like after.
Scouting Butterfield Trailhead Regional Park for Family Photos in Herriman, UT
I went to Butterfield Trailhead Regional Park at sunrise to find out if it was worth bringing families there at golden hour. Here's what I found: sagebrush, junipers, the Oquirrh range, and light unlike anything else in the south valley.
Family Photography Prices in Utah: What to Expect
Most photographers in Utah don't publish their prices. Here's what family photography actually costs across different models, from mini sessions to boutique experiences, so you know what you're comparing before you reach out to anyone.
Where to Hang Family Portraits in Your Home
Most family photos never make it to a wall. If you're going to have portraits made, it's worth knowing where they'll go: how to size a piece above the couch, why hallways are the most wasted wall in the house, and the rule that decides all of it.