Hi I’m Nate, thanks for being here!

There are photos of me with a tiny point and shoot camera as young as 4 years old but I didn’t really fall in love with photography until high school. I got my start with black and white film, developing my own photos in darkrooms, before falling in love with color and eventually learning to capture the style of my favorite film photos with a digital camera. I attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design for photography before transferring and finishing my BFA at Pacific Northwest College of Art.

While I was in college I shot my first wedding for some dear friends and totally fell in love with the role. There was something so special about spending such an important and beautiful day with these two people and creating something for them that would go on to be part of their story forever. I discovered that I was able to be a calming and fun presence for couples on a day that could otherwise be overwhelming and hectic, and I loved shifting between many different kinds of photography from documentary to editorial to fine art.

I studied under some great wedding photographers out on the west coast before striking out on my own in 2017 and I’ve been photographing weddings in the sun, snow, wind, and rain ever since.

Although my primary focus is weddings, I also work with businesses and individuals for portraits, headshots, and event photography.

In 2021 I married the love of my life and we moved back to the city where we first met: Minneapolis, MN. While we are sad to have left behind so many amazing connections in Portland, we’re overjoyed to be closer to family and back in a place we love so much.

When not photographing weddings, I enjoy spending time with my wife, Simi (poet, photographer, social media understander, and my favorite person) and cat, Stormbreaker (afraid of bugs, head of the household). I enjoy paddle boarding on any of Minnesota’s 10,000+ lakes, quiet mornings at our family cabin, traveling (especially for weddings), and sipping wine on patios.

About - Nate Smith Photography

Now booking new adventures for 2024 & 2025

Kind Words


Nate was absolutely amazing, he went above and beyond in helping us plan out our day and find the perfect location. He hiked up trails in the rain, down hills to the bottom of the water fall, stopped traffic and stood in the middle of the street and climbed over guard rails in the snow just to get the perfect photographs. I can’t stress enough how much we enjoyed working with Nate, he was absolutely fantastic!





- Ben, Groom

About - Nate Smith Photography

Nate did a phenomenal job as a photographer for our engagement photos last year, and our wedding this past July. His ability to capture the feeling of moments, his style of editing to create dramatic moody colors, and his skill to see the beauty in even the most mundane of spaces are all reasons he deserves 5 stars and more. He is so easy to work with and you can tell he puts a lot of love into his work. I cannot recommend him enough!



- Ashley, Bride

About - Nate Smith Photography

It's a good feeling to look through your wedding photos and think "Man we hired the right photographer." Nate Smith did an incredible job shooting our wedding, and several years later we are still in love with the photos. Nate always has a smile on his face and is quick on his feet to make sure he doesn't miss a moment. When the day comes and things inevitably start going wrong, it's a relief to know your photographer is adaptable, positive, and calm. We can't recommend him enough!



- Julian, Groom

About - Nate Smith Photography

Nate was absolutely incredible to work with! He was professional, attentive, and easy to communicate with throughout the process, from the first day we emailed him through when our gallery was delivered. Our wedding photos are gorgeous and, more importantly, they represent the day exactly the way we want to remember it and feel true to who we are and what we wanted. We could not be happier with how they turned out, or with our choice of Nate as a photographer!



- Julia, Bride

About - Nate Smith Photography

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