About Stephanie

I’m Stephanie Richer, a professional photographer based in East Tennessee and the owner of Smoky Mountain Family Photos.

My background includes work as an international wedding photographer, along with years of experience photographing portraits, children, pets, and families. In other words, I’ve spent a long time learning how to handle meaningful moments, unpredictable timelines, complicated logistics, emotional people, large groups, weather issues, and the occasional person who insists they “don’t take good pictures.”

Spoiler: they usually do. They just need someone who knows what they’re doing.

I also own Smoky Mountain Marriage Proposals, where I help plan and photograph surprise proposals throughout the Smokies. Through that work, I’ve photographed more than 200 proposals and helped clients navigate all the little details that can make or break a mountain photo session: location, timing, weather, traffic, crowds, parking, lighting, and backup plans.

That experience is a big part of why I created Smoky Mountain Family Photos.

Families come to the Smokies for meaningful reasons — vacations, reunions, anniversaries, birthdays, and once-in-a-while trips where everyone is finally in the same place. But planning photos in an unfamiliar area can feel like one more thing on an already full plate.

My goal is to make that part simple.

I’ll help guide you through what works best for your family, whether that means mountain views, an easy-access location, a cabin session, or a plan that keeps grandparents, little kids, and reluctant adults reasonably happy.

Because beautiful photos matter — but so does making the experience as easy as possible.

You handle the trip.
I’ll handle the photos.

Let’s plan your Smoky Mountain session