Smithville is, hands down, the cutest little quintessential country town I have come across yet. Because it is utterly adorable, it’s been the setting for many films and proudly claims to be the home of “Hope Floats” -favorite of mine.
Lacey fell in love with Smithville and accepted a teaching job there. After meeting her a fellow teacher told her she and her son, Justin, would be perfect for each other. Lacey held off on the idea until she met Justin. The rest, as they say, is history. Or, rather, history in the making! Lacey+Justin marry this month and I am so happy to be their photographer!
We shot during the weekend of the annual Smithville Jamboree. As you’ll see later in this session, the setting was filled with fun, color and yummy things (for both eyes and tummies.) I’ll put a little warning on this one: There’s a lot of love here, smooches ahead!
Smitty. He’s kind of a big deal.
Beautiful homes on the street of the official “Hope Floats” house.
The famous “Hope Floats” house. It’s quite the landmark -and a beautiful property!
Welcome to the fun! I couldn’t help myself -I love Ferris Wheels. You’ll see quite a few shots of this fellow.
Dwayne Dopsie and the Hellraisers
This whole session just makes me glow! So much fun and I’m dying to spend a weekend in Smithville browsing all of their sweet antique shops and enjoying the fabulous local flavor. You should go. Everyone should. It’s beautiful in Smithville, TX.
Location, location, location.
So much of what makes a fabulous photoshoot is where you are, yet it can often be challenging finding an ideal spot to shoot. You may know of a great area with, say, a stunning oak tree, but have you considered what’s around it? If it’s by a freeway, tons of electric poles, junky houses behind it? Conversely, in a previous session I found a field sandwiched between a McDonalds and a major apartment complex. You may never have thought to shoot there, but it was perfect for what I needed and had great unobstructed spaces. There are lots of places I find that most folks look at quizzically until they see the pictures and understand how that unexpected location was the perfect background for the look we were trying to achieve.
Smithville has endless options for shooting -they even have a whole weekend dedicated to photographers! It’s that photogenic. As you’re thinking about your ideal shoot location, think outside the box and check what’s surrounding the area. Just a fun tip so your pictures turn out the best and you love them even more!
