Esther and Elijah were one of my very first wedding clients from waaaay back in 2015! They had moved away and so had we and as fate would have it, we all made it back home to Amarillo and were able to reunite for family pictures (in the same location that I took Esther’s bridal pictures all those years ago). It was so special to me because I feel like I owe a lot of my business to them taking a chance on me when I had only shot a few weddings before theirs. Their son Abel is too cute for words and I loved seeing his personality!

Kayla SmithAugust 30, 2021Comment

The Wilhelm's | Family Pictures in Canyon, Texas

The Wilhelm’s always hold a special place in my heart! I photographed their wedding two years ago and seeing them become parents and create a miniature version of themselves is the sweetest thing. James is an absolute doll who was easy to get to smile as long as you enticed him with his favorite ball. Babies are so wonderfully simple!

FamilyKayla SmithAugust 30, 2021Comment

The Cox Family | Family Photos at Home in Amarillo

Maternity, newborn, and now one year pictures! I LOVE seeing clients again and again and watching them grow. I especially love taking these pictures in clients’ homes because their pictures end up being so personal and so meaningful for them. It’s a special thing to have photos of your baby learning to walk in the front yard of your house or playing piano with dad in the living room. I think those are the memories that will truly be cherished 50 years down the road.

FamilyKayla SmithAugust 5, 2021Comment

Thomas + Chimay | Engagement Pictures in Amarillo, Texas

These two are just plain adorable together! And their pair of German Shepherds made their engagement session so much fun. I always love it when couples bring their dogs with them because I truly believe it helps couples relax, be in the moment, and not worry about having a camera in front of them. Those always end up becoming my favorite pictures from the session.

Kayla SmithJuly 20, 2021Comment

Clint + Shayla | Wedding and Family Photos in Amarillo

For Clint and Shayla’s pictures, I took a little risk and decided to go ahead with their session despite calls for rain in the forecast. And it was so worth it! We ended up with the most amazing stormy West Texas sky (my favorite) and I found a couple of new, exciting locations for pictures. It was such a fun evening.

Family, WeddingsKayla SmithJuly 20, 2021Comment

The Shanks Family | Family Photos at Home in the Wolflin Neighborhood

I loved catching up with the Shanks family and taking their pictures where they feel most comfortable: at their home in Amarillo’s Wolflin neighborhood. Their little Ellis has grown up so much since I last took their pictures and as I told them during their session, pretty much everything she does is adorable. Their home is so charming and I love that we were able to create pictures in the place where they spend most of their time.

Kayla SmithJuly 20, 2021Comment

Darin + Kristen | Engagement Pictures in Palo Duro Canyon

I could not have been blessed with a better couple to take pictures of for my first time back in Amarillo, Texas! And we got to go to Palo Duro Canyon! It was literally the perfect evening. Here’s what I love about these two: they clearly love having fun together and they don’t always take everything seriously! But on the flip side, they aren’t afraid to get super romantic. They are going to have an intimate backyard wedding this fall and it is going to be breathtaking, I’m sure of it.

EngagementsKayla SmithJune 23, 2021palo duro canyon, engagement, engagement photos, couple, summer, sunset, love, wedding picturesComment

Exciting news! We are coming home to Amarillo!

Big update life here! I’ve been hinting at this for a while but...we are coming home to Amarillo!!! If you didn’t know, we moved away last year but the Smith clan is done living like gypsies and we are planting our roots firmly in Amarillo. We even bought a house! I’m so excited to get back to taking pictures again. Taking some time off was vital for my mental health and the happiness of my family. Before my break, I was feeling the burnout creeping up big time. Taking some time off allowed me to figure out what I really want for my family and for my career. I found clarity.

PersonalKayla SmithMay 29, 2021Comment

Some of my Favorite Wedding Venues in Lubbock, Texas

What I love about the wedding venues in Lubbock, Texas is that they are not afraid to take risks and be unique! They are all so different from each other and the wedding scene is drastically different even from Amarillo only two hours away. I love it because it makes my job as a wedding photographer exciting. Lubbock is like Amarillo’s cool older sister, you know! Some venues are elegant, some are industrial and some are bright and funky. I love them all and I love making the trip down to shoot weddings there.

WeddingsKayla SmithMay 3, 2021Comment

Some of my Favorite Wedding Venues in Amarillo, Texas

The vast majority of the weddings that I have photographed over the past several years have taken place in my town of Amarillo, Texas. The area is rich with gorgeous wedding venues for every style of wedding imaginable: classic, industrial, traditional, casual, rustic, dreamy, etc. I have created this list of some of my favorite wedding venues to shoot at. Because what I do is visual, it’s obviously very important for the wedding venue to be beautiful and two of the most important wedding venue factors that help me take great wedding photos are: good light and available backdrops. All of the following venues are places I could photograph a thousand times and always be happy with how the pictures turn out.

Kayla SmithMay 3, 2021Comment

The Coe Family | Breezy Late Fall Family Photos

Several years ago, I took family pictures of the Coe Family in Palo Duro Canyon - back when they had recently found out they were pregnant with the youngest member of the family. I loved getting to see them again before moving away from Amarillo. I’m a little disappointed that I found this amazing field right before having to leave Texas but when we move back one day, this will for sure be a prime location for pictures!

Kayla SmithApril 19, 2021Comment

Ashlyn | College Senior Pictures at West Texas A&M University

Talk about killing it for her senior pictures! Ashlyn is graduating from West Texas A&M University this Spring. She took all of her classes online for her degree so this was actually her first time seeing the campus in person! I loved showing her around the pretty WTAMU grounds and taking her senior photos at all of the iconic locations.

SeniorsKayla SmithApril 19, 2021Comment