Sam Smalley Photography

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United States
Palmer, MA
Sam Smalley Photography

Scenic, creative, and abstract photography for the soul of the daydreamer.

09/02/2026

What it feels like to dream with your eyes open. Blue hour has had me in a chokehold all summer. 🌙

09/01/2026

Came upon this little guy on a mission through the stars. ✨️

08/28/2026

Hey hey, friends! Tis the season for mini sessions, and since I couldn't decide on foliage vs tree farm: October Foliage Minis AND November Tree Farm Minis are here! 🍂🌲

October Foliage minis take place on October 18th- a prime time for peak foliage!
Click the link below to book your foliage spot: https://samsmalleyphotography.pixieset.com/booking/october-fall-minis

November Tree Farm minis will take place on November 7th at where else but Ket-Tree Farm in Monson!
Click the link below to book your tree farm spot: https://samsmalleyphotography.pixieset.com/booking/tree-farm-minis

08/12/2026

Seniors 2027! It's your time! Now scheduling discounted senior sessions August through September. Bring your best smiles, blue steel gazes, and most importantly- that unique aura of being yourself. These sessions are all about you.

Sessions are $300

You get:
• a full hour session
• 2 outfit changes
• 20-30 retouched images
• hi-res gallery download

Let's get your session on the calendar before the yearbook committee's all up your butt about being late. 🤓👇

📧 [email protected]

08/02/2026

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing Here Today Adopted Tomorrow's Feline Fun Day event at Brimfield Winery! Since Facebook limits the number of photos I can upload, click the link below to view the rest of the photos. And please tag your vendor-friendors! Thanks for having me. It was a fun time! 😽

https://samsmalleyphotography.pixieset.com/htatfelinefest2026/

07/29/2026

As July comes to a close, I've been reflecting on the experiences that have made up this first half of the year. Milky way nights, wildflower walks, and watching a turtle lay her eggs have all been highlights of my summer. Taking another step back though, it's safe to say I've finally overcome the pain of losing about 2/3 of some pretty special photos from when Brett and I went to the state of Washington for our 5 day honeymoon trip in May.

The good thing about me is I'm a type A when it comes to organization of client's photos on a memory card. For 15 years, I've never lost or deleted a single session or wedding until it was edited, delivered, and backed up. So if you're a client reading this, don't sweat. Your stuff is fine and always will be.

The bad thing about me is I'm type F- when it comes to my own landscape and nature photos. Because of this, I accidentally formatted and wrote over my own Washington trip card with a session... yep, just a dumb worst case scenario. Client's photos are always prioritized and I will delete any nature photos of my own to make sure I have space for a client session. Had to be THAT card though? God dammit Sam. 🫠

Tears were shed, and after enough time being sorry for myself, I was able to kick up some real reflection: Even though the trip was special, it was WAY too short to cram 3 national parks and about 1100 miles in. What's special is we got to see breath-taking places with our eyes, and touch some of the biggest trees on earth with our hands. Pictures were never going to be enough for us to keep from returning. We'll be back.

So for now, I'm sharing one photo that was spared from that trip. It's from a very cherished place we visited called the Hoh Rainforest.

When I first ever got a Facebook, I vividly remember a photographer I followed sharing the most mystical pictures of this forest. I thought "wow that place looks so cool, too bad it's probably in like Japan" and I carried on with my life. But those Hoh photos always allured me. It wasn't until years later I actually used Google like an adult and saw it's right here in the states.

The Hoh has been my Disney dream since circa 2008. I got to see it in 2026. 💚

07/12/2026

Timothy and Raúl got married today. 🩷 Surrounded by loved ones under bright blue skies, all July sweat aside, it was as perfect as can be. These guys are so easy to be around and their lovestory is entirely wholesome. 🥰

07/10/2026

TL/DR: Website updates, price increases, privacy contracts, great big thank-you's. 🫶

https://www.samsmalleyphoto.com/
..…………………………

To my followers, friends, folks, clients- whatever you like to call yourselves: I updated my website!

The two most notable changes I've made are price increases, and requiring signed contracts and retainer deposits for all booked sessions.

I've been a full time family and wedding photographer for over 10 years, and while a job like this has always brought its own seasonal lulls, it feels like the hardest times have truly come for me in 2026. I'm still booking sessions, but in true Sam fashion, I've been living under a rock. 🐌

Recently I've been enlightened in discovering the amount I charge for sessions is almost the same as (or even less than) some brand new photographers entering the market with no experience.

To be extremely clear, I'm not casting shade on these photographers. Lack of experience aside, they're smart enough to charge based on how much time, energy, and financial costs are truly involved in this job. The fault here is on me for not increasing my own pricing for the past 3 or 4 years. Imposter syndrome (mixed with loving what you do) will have an easy way of talking you out of your own worth and leaving you hungry at the end of a fully booked weekend.

I also can't share as much as I used to. Social media is weird. As a photographer, I want to share everything. But if I had kids, I would absolutely 1000% understand not wanting to share photos of them on the internet either. So contracts are a must from here forth, where we're clear on what photos I can and can't share. While I deeply respect people's privacy, sometimes that means I go weeks without sharing any photos from recent sessions. It looks like I've gone M.I.A. when that happens, and it sucks for business. 🫠

I'm hoping my repeat families and future clients will understand and support this decision. In a time where everything is becoming corrupt by AI and authenticity seems to become a rarity before our eyes, I hope people believe in their own worth to have their family's legacies documented as beautiful truths.

If you've been considering a portrait session for some time, I would love to hear from you. I'm engaging, mindful, and full of prompts throughout sessions so they feel easy, memorable, and fun. I'm not afraid to capture your fully candid family either. We can leave the prompts in the bag and go pick apples and pumpkins this fall.

If you've had photos taken by me, this is a good time to leave some love. It might encourage someone new to finally pull the trigger on booking a date sooner rather than later.

Lastly: Thank you for reading this long ass post, and being here supporting my ole page for probably a long time. I'm not going anywhere. Nature photos will be making a steady return with this season being slower and beautiful to gaze at. Hope you're enjoying it as much as I am. ☀️

07/09/2026

I've always been a yuge stinkin' fan of moody color and moody b+w portraits. If the lighting's right, you bet I'm gonna find a way to sneak them into your gallery. When I do, I just hope they help you see that your life is the greatest ongoing work of art you could ever experience. (That all sounds kinda threatening. Good, I mean it!) ☁️

07/06/2026

Here we are in the thick of the sunny season that keeps us staying cool in the shade, or by some breezy water. (Hey, how about both if we're lucky!) With the frequent rainy nights, July's wildflowers have been looking beautifully in bloom, and I know August's sunflower fields are just around the corner without fail. The hottest season brings the best backdrops. Get out there and soak it up. 🌞

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Palmer, MA

Website

http://www.samsmalleyphoto.com/

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