About Whitney | Kansas City Photographer – Smiles by Whitney - Smiles by Whitney | Kansas City Wedding & Portrait Photographer

Bride and groom share a tender kiss surrounded by flowering vines under a bright blue sky.

"WE ARE OBSESSED, WHITNEy! YOU ARE SO AMAZING! There’s no one I would've rather had capture our day!"

LOla S.

Smiling curly-haired woman in white sweater laughing while working on laptop against white background.

Hello, I'm Whitney

Wedding & Portrait Photographer

Simple outline illustration of a camera with a decorative sunflower on the front lens.

My love for photography started in my grandpa's office.

He shot on film. He documented everything, his travels with my grandma, family vacations, reunions, the ordinary Tuesday moments that turned out to be anything but. His office held at least fifty albums, every one labeled with a label maker, organized by name and year, lined up on the shelves like the most precious library I'd ever seen. And when I'd visit, he'd pull out his projector, load the slides and tell me about each moment. Not just what was happening in the photo, but how it felt.

That's where I fell in love with photography. Not with cameras or light or composition. With the idea that a moment could be saved. That you could close your eyes and go right back.

My grandpa has since passed away. So has my grandma, my absolute best friend. There is nothing I want more in this world than to have had them both at my wedding someday, but that's something I'll never get to have.

So I understand, maybe more than most, what it means to wish someone could be in the room. What it means to look at a photo and feel an entire person come rushing back to you. What it means to hold a moment in your hands and think thank God someone was paying attention that day.

That's why I show up the way I do. <3

When I walk into a venue on a wedding morning, I am genuinely completely excited! I ooh and ahh over the flowers and all the details and I tell the bride she's beautiful, because she is. Then I get to work, directing + posing when needed, but also allowing moments to just unfold, paying close attention to all the little things.

Watching for mom reaching for her daughter's hand. The brothers trying to hold it together and failing beautifully. The smile that spreads across your face when you look out and realize every single person you love is in one room.

I always make sure to find the grandparents. Always. Because I know what it means to have them there, and I know what it means when they're not.

When you open your gallery, I want it to take your breath away. I want it to transport you back to that day and remember exactly how it felt. I want you to see moments you didn't even know were happening, because you were too busy living them. The full circle of your day, every corner of love that filled that room, all the little things that made it truly yours.

My grandpa's camera sits on my desk. I don't shoot with it anymore, but it's there every day reminding me why this work matters. Someday, someone is going to sit in an office like his, flipping through the photos we made together, and feel everything all over again. <3

I'm fueled by laughter, joy + meaningful connections and my sweet pups, Georgia Rae + Liza Mae. You might find me thrifting for treasures, spending time with my nephews, cheering on the Kansas City Royals at The K or spontaneously breaking into song + dance.

When we work together, I'll make the experience feel easy, fun and stress-free because the more at ease you feel, the more the truly authentic you shows up in your photos. Whether it's your wedding day, family photos, a senior milestone or the joy of watching your family grow, I'm here to capture the moments that matter most.

Your story is worth remembering, beautifully.

xo, Whitney