Welcome to the Organized Chaos

(Also known as my photography website.)

Hey there! I’m Sierra—photographer, chaos wrangler, caffeine enthusiast, and the woman most likely to have goat hair on her shirt and still somehow make your photos look like a magazine spread.

If you’ve landed here, chances are you’re looking for someone to capture your wedding, your senior year, or your wild, beautiful, slightly feral family—and you want photos that actually feel like you (not like stiff prom poses or Pinterest nightmares).

You’re in luck. I’ve been professionally third-wheeling couples, bossing around bridal parties, chasing toddlers with a camera, and reminding dads to just smile and pretend they like each other for over a decade.

During your session, you can relax.
No really—breathe. I’ll pose you most of the time. Do you really think those “candid lifestyle” moments aren’t posed? Oh, sweet summer child… they totally are. But it’s what happens after I wrangle you into place when the magic really happens. I move fast so no one has time to overthink or spiral into awkwardness. I’ll play games, throw out prompts, and ask you to do some truly ridiculous things—but it’s all in the name of getting the most authentic, joy-filled, “oh my gosh, that’s SO us” kind of images.

Props? Meh.
I might drag a stool or bench out for your wiggly toddler, but that’s about it. No Pinterest-style prop explosion here. I’m all about posing you right on the ground (yes, the actual ground)—because that’s what looks best and doesn’t distract from the most important part of the photo: you.

I’m a natural light photographer, which is a fancy way of saying we’ll be shooting in that golden hour glow about an hour before sunset (aka when the lighting gods are on our side). It’s the best, trust me. If the skies are moody or overcast—no problem, we just roll with it. I do have a studio space, but it’s mostly reserved for the littles—newborns, sitters, cake smashers, and occasionally some headshots if you're feeling extra polished.

Be prepared for a little adventure.
I love finding unique, dreamy, sometimes semi-remote locations that might require a walk, a climb, or driving down a questionable gravel road while wondering, “are we still in Illinois?” (Yes. Barely.)

So grab a drink—iced coffee, Dr. Pepper, margarita, or all three, I’m not judging—and poke around the site. If you're into real moments, beautiful lighting, vibrant colors, and a photographer who might climb a tree mid-session to get that shot, then congratulations: you’ve found your girl.

Let’s make some magic. And maybe a mess. But definitely magic.

Getting married in central Illinois and looking for a wedding photographer? Look no further. Central IL based wedding and portrait photographer, Sierra Smithers, will document your day in one of the most stunning and beautiful ways possible; moment by moment as your love story unfolds. Sierra will work with you and your family to ensure you get those extraordinary images that tell the story of your love.

No bait and switch here. You are working directly with Sierra. Why is that so important? Well, unlike other vendors, your wedding photographer is the one person that will literately be with you the entire day. So, naturally, I think it's extremely important that the person you hire to document one of the most meaningful moments in your life, is actually the same person who’s work you are looking at and the very same person who you shared all those creative ideas with before your wedding.

Make no mistake. Talk to your friends who have been married and one thing is certain, most all wish they had spent more money on their wedding photographer. Why? Because when it’s all said and done, the only thing left to remember your day, will be your wedding photography.