About this vendor
Hi, my name is Brian D Smith and I am a destination film wedding photographer based in Charleston South Carolina and Northern Michigan . Charleston has been my most permanent home for the last 6 years and holds a very special place in my heart, as the birthplace of my love for photography and documenting weddings. Northern Michigan has been my second home for my entire life, and will forever be my favorite escape. I typically spend my summers in Northern Michigan, Fall and Spring in Charleston and travel around the rest of the year and in between. I am available for destination and will travel anywhere, at any time for your love. I photograph weddings because they engage every aspect of my brain and seem to merge them in beautiful poetry. I left an engineering career to pursue photography because I fell in love with the energy of weddings and the challenge of making art on the fly. I bring a unique style, focused on film and influenced by fashion and my own personal exploration, wishing for my work to look like no one else's. I am passionate about film, storytelling, portraiture, printing and documenting unique and interesting people. Check out my website and get to know a little bit about me. Give me a call, text, email and I'll respond within 24 hours! If you want to chat wedding photography over a beer or coffee, I'll likely respond within 1! I love to talk about what I do!
Details
Destination Weddings
- Destination Wedding Packages
Photo Shoot Types
- Boudoir
- Bridal Portraits
- Day After Session
- Engagement
Photo & Video
- Digital Files
- Film Photography
- Online Proofing
- Photo
- Printed Enlargements
- Printed Proofs
Photo & Video Styles
- Artistic
- Classic
- Documentary
- Dramatic
Wedding Activities
- Getting Engaged
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Wedding
- After Party
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.029 reviews
Review photos
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The photos taken by Brian and Jessica standalone without any help from my review but working with these two extremely talented photographers was invaluable. Their passion for their...
craft only intensified that theme of the evening and carries through to the photographs we'll treasure for the rest of our lives. I'm not experienced behind or in front of a camera so it was incredible watching them work and putting all of our trust in the process. Just thank you so much for documenting our wedding. Film photographers, talented, humble and kind, are not easy to find. If you're someone considering if Brian's or Jessica’s work is right for you, do not ponder a second longer and inquire as soon as you can.
We really loved Brian. He is kind and calm and made everyone feel comfortable and at ease. The photos he took from our wedding and rehersal dinner are perfect. He captured everythi...
ng so beautifully and we are very grateful to him.
Brian is the real deal. We couldn't have asked for anyone better for our wedding in downtown charleston. He has an exceptional artistic sense and variety of styles. He was honestly...
the most worthwhile expense for our wedding imo. He patiently worked really hard throughout the day and captured all the moments we could have asked for. Communication was also excellent. He left no detail unaddressed.
There is no other option for your wedding than Brian. I have been trying to write this review since our April wedding because I couldn't find the right words to describe how incred...
ible working with him is. Hiring Brian as our photographer was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. His attention to detail, his creativity, his passion and his professionalism are unparalleled. We found Brian while searching for wedding photographers online who had an aesthetic that captured movement and candid moments. Everything this man shoots through a lens is perfection. We did an engagement session, a downtown shoot in Chicago, and our wedding day photos with Brian and all of them were utterly incredible. His photos are raw, emotional, beautiful and he so effortlessly captures the best parts of you. Brian - we cannot thank you enough for everything you did to capture our big day. The weather and temperature surely wasn’t on our side, but you still delivered us photos editorial worthy!
Brian really went above and beyond we could have ever imagined. The way he captured our wedding day is truly remarkable.
After COVID changed our wedding plans in 2020, we decided...
to get married in Charleston. Not being from the area, I did a ton or research and stumbled upon Brian's work. I knew right away when I saw his photography style that I wanted to hire him for our wedding day. We were in luck that he actually was available to shoot for us.
He responded quickly to my email inquiry and the process of hiring him for our needs was extremely easy. He was able to offer suggestions regarding locations and timelines for our wedding day- it was helpful to get his insight especially with shooting locations since we were from the area.
Brian's personality jived with ours- he's easy going, down to earth, genuine, accommodating and gave great direction while we were shooting with him- he made the shooting process so organic which in turn made us both feel confident and comfortable in front of the camera.
His shooting style has been by far my most favorite. He really knows how to capture moments that help to give a true representation of our day. His photo journalist approach to photography was exactly what we were looking for and he over delivered! When we received our photos, both of us were speechless and brought me to tears with how beautiful he captured our day. Photography was the most important thing for me on our wedding day (aside from getting married) and thanks to Brian we have these incredible photos that we can share with our family and friends.
We are so grateful to have these photos and would highly recommend hiring Brian as your photographer. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!
If I could give Brian 100 stars, I would. I cannot put into words just how obsessed my husband and I are with our wedding photos. They are truly magical.
We initially fell in lov...
e with Brian's photojournalistic, candid style of photography when researching Charleston wedding photographers. We were also excited about his ability to shoot film as well! After some IG stalking, and a few phone calls and emails, Brian was officially part of the team that helped make our wedding so amazing.
Brian captured our day so perfectly, from our first look down to even the tiniest of details. His photos really told a story. And that story was one of anticipation, joy, relief, romance, and revelry. You can truly feel the emotion exuding from each photo he took of our big day.
Aside from his insane talent, Brian is also one of the nicest humans on Earth. Truly. His calming presence was much appreciated during the hustle and bustle of our wedding day.
Please, do yourself a favor and book Brian as your wedding photographer. It was the best decision we ever made!
BEST DECISION WE MADE! Brian was one of the best decisions we made in our wedding planning process. The hunt can be overwhelming, or at least I found it to be, but I truly cannot r...
ecommend him enough. He is fantastic, down to earth, calming, insanely talented and made both me AND my husband (who hates pictures) feel so comfortable and natural on our wedding day. We had genuine fun, with Brian photographing us - and that was something very important to me. I didn't want someone who would distract us from the natural unfolding of the day and also didn't want someone who tried to make us do poses that just weren't us and he greatly accomplished both.
Aside from being such an asset to the day itself, the photos are far more than I ever expected. He delivered a black and white sneak preview to us while we were on our honeymoon. The way he explained to us was that the black and white photos allowed him to focus only on what natural lighting he was provided on wedding day. I personally liked this because while I was able to look at these and see parts of our wedding for the first time, there was still the hidden factor of what was to come with the rest of the photos to be delivered in color. About a month and some change after our wedding, the rest of the photos were delivered and I. just. cant. Stop. looking. at them. All of them were beautiful. Again, they were more than I could ever imagine because not only were they the ‘instagrammable’ shots, if you will, they were also the goofy, funny, unposed shots that our day embodied. He captured ALL of the RAW moments. Please hire Brian, you WILL NOT be disappointed.
We can't recommend Brian enough. Not only was he flexible with everything that 2020 brought, he was our only photographer and captured everything and more. Honestly we don't know h...
ow he managed to be everywhere at once. He is brilliant at capturing those candid moments of joy - both from the bride side and groomsmen - in addition to some of the more traditional wedding photos. They all turned out stunning with his signature style. It's a good sign when everyone wants copies of the photos.
I've been trying to write this review for a week, and the best thing I can come up with is this: hiring Brian as your wedding photographer will be the single best decision you make...
in your planning process. Brian was a recommendation from our wedding planner (the amazing Erica Peper!) and I fell in love with the vivid, real style of his work immediately. What really sealed the deal, though, was talking to him about it. His passion for photography was so tangible, and it was obvious that he would pour himself into capturing our wedding as if it was the most important day he would ever document. Now that we have the photos in hand, I can say that was absolutely true. Every time I look at them (which is more times a day than I should admit...) I notice a new favorite. When I've shared them with friends, everyone comments on Brian's talent for capturing exactly what the day felt like – through the stunning portraits, the detail shots, and countless snapshots of moments you could easily overlook. Both during my bridal portraits and on our wedding day, I felt completely at ease – his energy behind the camera is infectious. If you sent me back to the beginning of wedding planning, I would hire him 10x over. He's a joy to work with and his photography is second to none. I couldn't recommend him more!
Brian photographed our wedding, and we couldn't have been more pleased with his creativity and skill. He captured all the special moments throughout the evening with close attentio...
n to every detail. He was a such joy to work with, and his finished product is phenomenal. We love our wedding photos and would absolutely recommend Brian to anyone looking for a professional wedding photographer.
I’ve actually worked with Brian twice now and I have nothing but good to say about his talent, his attention to detail, and his likability and professionalism.
He is extremely pe...
rsonable and easy going. Which is EXACTLY what you want in a photographer. I always tell my clients that they need someone who is easy to mesh with other wise it will be hard to have a fun wedding day! Like I mentioned above he also is extremely detailed and he makes sure to take advantage of every beautiful moment. Not to mention his final results, the actual photos, are incredibly beautiful. Highly recommend using Brian for your wedding and portrait needs!!
Brian and I worked our first wedding together in May. He went above and beyond to connect with the bride and make her feel comfortable in front of the camera. We were on a tight ti...
meline and he made sure we got all of the pictures knocked out efficiently AND beautifully. No one ever felt rushed but we definitely were able to stay on schedule. He turned a driveway into a beautiful backdrop and found hidden gems for backdrops throughout the day. He wasn’t afraid to go on the beach and get dirty either. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous and I would highly recommend him to all my brides.
After reviewing Brian's incredible work, we knew we had to hire him as the photographer for our wedding day (held at The Homestead in Glen Arbor, Michigan). From the moment he arr...
ived, he displayed a true sense of professionalism and passion for his craft. He took the time to make us both feel comfortable which ultimately made it feel more like hanging out with a friend rather than a tense photoshoot. He also focused on the subtle details and candid moments throughout the day (that most wedding photographers overlook). He proved his true passion and talent for photography by having several different types of cameras on-hand which gave our photos beautiful variety. Brian was an absolute dream to work with and we cannot recommend him highly enough to be the photographer for your big day. Don't just hire someone with an expensive camera who knows how to to point and shoot. Hire someone like Brian who takes photography seriously and has a natural talent in the medium.
Brian is one of our favorite photographer's in the area to work with. He is at the top of our preferred vendor list and our couples adore him!
Brian was the first vendor we booked. We found him after noticing an engagement session he did with another interracial couple. For us, it was very important that we selected a pho...
tographer that could capture both of us. After meeting with Brian, he immediately set the tone for other vendors we were going to work with. Brian was personable, detailed, thorough, engaging, and his attention to detail was impeccable. We felt connected with him immediately, which we knew was going to be important both during our engagement shoot and wedding day. He is remarkably talented behind the camera. His communication from engagement to wedding was timely, seamless, and clear. He was accommodating and made my vision for our engagement shoot come to life! As he put it, "Vanity Fair!" Brian knew exactly where to go for the best shots in Charleston, and made us feel completely comfortable and confident. He got along marvelously with our videographers, and other vendors. Everyone raves about our photos to this day. We could not have asked for a better result. I say this all the time, and sincerely mean it. Brian has gained lifetime customers in us! We wholeheartedly recommend him!
Brian's photography is like no other in the area and his style is 100% original. We could not be happier with our wedding photos and will cherish them forever. Hands down recommend...
!!
Getting the right photographer was probably #1 on the list of wedding priorities for my husband and I. So when we saw Brian's work, we immediately knew he was the person we wanted ...
to capture our special day. He has a fantastic eye and we absolutely love the tone of his images. He was friendly and professional during our whole correspondence leading up to the wedding, which really put me at ease! Our guests told us how impressed they were at what he was able to capture. My only regret is that we didn't get engagement photos as well because his work is so lovely!
Brian is so incredibly talented with his camera! We initially booked our venue solely based on a photoshoot he did there. We were not impressed with the photos on the venues site (...
they have updated since then), but then came across a shoot Brian did and we fell in love with it. We knew we needed to hire him for our wedding, he was the first vendor we hired. The day of the wedding Brian knew exactly where to go to get all the best shots, and worked perfectly with our videographer. We are so happy with how all of the photos turned out. We have gotten so many compliments on them. I would definitely recommend Brian!
My husband and I planned our Michigan wedding mainly online from New Mexico. We were SUPER lucky to be able to book Brian and his team for our big day. Brian himself was one of t...
he photographers throughout the day and he was fantastic. I was worried that we would not get too many great photos that included me because I was super sick all day, it rained all morning, and although it cleared up in time for our outdoor beach wedding, it was SUPER hot and humid with initially ZERO breeze coming in, but all of the photos turned out phenomenally.
In addition to taking the photos, he was checking out different areas for unique photos. He was also more than willing to include our dogs in the photos, which made my husband and I happy.
Not only did he send us a link to download all of the photos that he had taken, he also mailed us an adorable wooden box with a USB with all the pictures and some printed out copies.
We contacted Brian a month or so before our wedding and, though we had considered forgoing photography, we are so happy we went with 3E8! We love the authentic and candid way he ca...
ptured our day and truly believe he has an eye for the drawing the personality of a couple. We have shown our pictures in a slideshow in two different different open houses after our wedding and many have exclaimed over the quality and beauty of the photos. Thank you Brian!
My fiance (now husband) and I planned our own wedding with the exception of a highly talented day of wedding coordinator to help us pull it together the day of. Every detail was cr...
ucial in helping us achieve the aesthetic and vibe that we were striving for. Brian was on board from the start and super supportive of our vision. He understood that we not only wanted him to come and take photos of us and our family, we wanted him to capture the entire feeling of "our day". Brian not only delivered what we had wanted, he went above and beyond my highest expectations. I was up the night before the wedding working on the most minute set-up details, things that I thought of last minute that I didn't get a chance to tell Brian about beforehand. However, when we received our pictures after the wedding I saw that Brian could see it all without me having to point anything out. His eye for detail is excellent. Brian captured the mood, the details, the emotion, our friends, and our family perfectly. We loved working with him. He caught on quick to what we wanted, showed up early to take additional detail shots, and was friendly and professional. His work is beautiful and of the highest quality. Brian took our day as seriously as we did and we cannot thank him enough!
We can’t thank you enough, Brian! Your photos are amazing and you were great to work with. Even with the rain there wasn’t a downfall. You captured every important person, detail a...
nd emotion.
We are so thankful you captured our wedding day. Thank you so very much! -Erica and Mike Kennedy
I contacted Brian for a surprise engagement photo-shoot with my fiancé and it was the best decision. Brian was amazing and the pictures speak for themselves. We have gotten a numbe...
r of them enlarged and printed on canvas as they are truly works of art. I highly recommend Brian to capture any and all special moments!!!
My fiancé contacted Brian for our engagement photos and it was a great choice. Brian delivered top-quality images and it was a pleasure to work with him. He was very professional a...
nd so easy to get along with. His technical talent and artistic ability is displayed in every image. He made us feel really comfortable throughout the entire session and we had so much fun as we uncovered hidden gems for engagement shoots within downtown Charleston. I treasure our photos and I'd highly highly recommend him!
I can not say enough about how wonderful the engagement pictures turned out. Brian was extremely personable and easy to work with, he understood my vision but far exceeded my expec...
tations in capturing the moment. I cannot recommend him highly enough!
Brian photographed our son and daughter-in-law's wedding recently on Hilton Head Island. I've never seen a photographer take so many shots at a wedding (and in a totally non-intrus...
ive way). And his photographs are ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! They captured the mood and the emotion of that day in ways we didn't think were possible. Thank-you Brian for putting your heart and your soul into your business and for allowing ALL of us to cherish these photos and memories forever.
Brian with 38E Photography was so wonderful to work with for our engagement pictures at Legare Waring House in Charleston, SC. Being a couple from Pennsylvania, Brian spent a lot o...
f time communicating with us about our photo shoot & helping us create an idea of what we wanted. He has such an easy spirit & made our quick “golden hour” session fun. He helped us laugh through the awkward poses & muddy ground. I would definitely suggest Brian to any soon to be bride and groom!
Thank you Brian!
Brian captured our day perfectly and provided us with timeless images which captured the emotion, excitement and love that filled the day. His warm and witty personality made the ...
portrait sessions a blast and then he faded seamlessly into the background to capture natural action shots for the ceremony and reception. To say that Brian is talented would be a bold understatement. He has a eye for perfection and a technical skill set that far surpasses the average photographer. I cried, I laughed, and then cried some more when reviewing our photos. Brian has a gift and will provide you with flawless images that are beautifully packaged to remember your special event. We will definitely be contacting Brian again to capture life's greatest moments and highly recommend you book him for yours!
If you're reading this, book him now!! My husband and I could not be happier with the decision to have Brian shoot our wedding (and engagement prior to the big day). I am not a hug...
e fan of being in front of a camera, but Brian made it so much more comfortable for me just by his easy going yet passionate personality. His love for photography is so apparent not only in the outcome of the pictures, but also in his hard work during the process. Brian was the only photographer we booked for our wedding with 150 guests! He was there from start of getting ready to send off pouring everything he had into our big day. His artistic style beautifully captured these perfect moments that will be cherished for the rest of our lives! Lastly, Brian is very reasonably priced especially given the fact that the quality of his work is right there with the best in Charleston. We look forward to using him for all of our special memories ahead and recommend you do too!
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