Today we’d like to introduce you to Tori Smith.
Hi Tori, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Tori Wharton Smith, and I’m a photographer, a mom, and a proud lifelong resident of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, the place I’ve always called home. In a city like Nashville that has grown and changed so much, it feels especially meaningful to say that not only did I grow up here, but both of my parents did too, right here in the Mount Juliet and Nashville area. Deep local roots and family connections have always shaped who I am, both personally and professionally.
Photography has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in the photography business, learning from my father, Paul Wharton, who built our family’s photography legacy here in Middle Tennessee. Being raised around cameras, studios, and the joy of preserving memories gave me a passion for photography early on, and I’ve now been photographing clients professionally for over 18 years.
One of the greatest blessings of my career has been working side by side with my dad throughout that journey. Together, we’ve photographed more than 500 weddings, traveled across the United States and overseas, and had the opportunity to capture an incredible range of moments and people. From photographing local families and life’s everyday milestones to documenting presidents and celebrities, those experiences have not only shaped my career but strengthened the bond we share through this craft.
Today, I’m proud to continue that family tradition through Wharton Photography, specializing in weddings, newborns, families, children, portraits, and special events. My goal has always been to create authentic, timeless images that tell your story and preserve the moments that matter most.
Beyond photography, my greatest role is being a mom to my amazing 11-year-old son, who keeps life fun, busy, and full of perspective. Motherhood has deepened my appreciation for how quickly life moves and how important it is to capture the memories we want to hold onto forever.
I feel incredibly grateful to live and work in the same community that helped shape me. Serving families and clients throughout Mount Juliet, Nashville, and beyond is more than a career. It’s a privilege, and one I’m honored to continue as part of my family’s legacy.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As much as photography has always been a part of who I am, my relationship with my career naturally changed as I entered different seasons of life. At 17, I was eager, ambitious, and constantly chasing the next creative idea—always experimenting with new techniques, traveling a week or more out of every month, and spending most weekends photographing weddings. I loved the fast pace, the adventure, and the freedom that came with building a career around something I was so passionate about.
But becoming a mother at 25 shifted everything.
Suddenly, my priorities changed. While I still loved photography deeply, I found myself wanting something different—I wanted to be home more. I wanted fewer weekends away and more time present for the everyday moments with my son. Finding that balance between continuing a successful photography career and being the kind of mother I wanted to be was one of the most meaningful and difficult transitions I’ve ever navigated.
At the time, stepping back from some of the travel and wedding work felt like failure. Photography had been such a large part of my identity, and changing course came with a lot of uncertainty. To create more stability and flexibility, I entered the wine and spirits industry—what began as a practical decision quickly evolved into an unexpected second passion.
My journey in wine began at Providence Wine & Spirits, where I started on the sales floor and gradually grew into several leadership roles, including Event and Digital Marketing Manager and eventually Buying Manager. Those years gave me invaluable experience in hospitality, curation, and relationship-building while deepening my appreciation for the craftsmanship and stories behind every bottle.
From there, I joined Bounty Bev, where I had the privilege of helping build a thoughtful and dynamic craft wine and spirits portfolio alongside an incredible team of colleagues and importers who remain some of my closest friends today. I now serve as Assistant General Manager at Last Chance Liquors, continuing to grow in an industry that has challenged and inspired me in entirely new ways.
Over the years, photography itself has changed tremendously—especially in Nashville, where the creative landscape has evolved dramatically since I first began in 2007. The pace, the competition, and the demands of constantly adapting can be overwhelming, but I’ve found peace in the balance I’ve created. Today, I’m grateful to run my photography business at a slower, more intentional pace—built almost entirely on longtime clients, returning families, and referrals. I no longer feel the need to chase every trend or compete in an ever-changing market. Instead, I’m able to focus on the relationships I’ve built and the meaningful work I love.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have found not just one career that fulfills me, but two. Both photography and wine have taught me the value of connection, creativity, resilience, and balance. Most importantly, they’ve given me the opportunity to show my son that hard work matters, that passions can evolve, and that it’s always worth pursuing the things that bring you joy, purpose, and peace.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
What I do is deeply rooted in storytelling, connection, and community as a second-generation photographer. One of the things I hear most often from my clients, especially parents, is how excited and surprised they are by how many wonderful photos we capture of their children. As every parent knows, getting small children to sit still and smile on command is rarely easy, and honestly, that’s not usually my goal.
I prefer to get on a child’s level and let them lead the session in many ways, allowing them to explore, move, play, and simply be themselves. In the moment, it can often feel like a whirlwind to parents, lots of movement, a little chaos, and maybe even a feeling that we barely got any “good ones.” But that’s often where the magic happens. Some of the most meaningful images come from those unscripted moments, and I love being able to turn what feels like chaos into something timeless and beautiful.
In the corporate and wedding side of my business, my approach shifts, but the goal remains the same: to tell the story fully and authentically. One of the greatest skills my dad taught me, drawing from his years in the press photography industry, is how to be both invisible and everywhere at once. My job is to capture every meaningful detail and important moment without becoming a distraction. I move quickly, quietly, and intentionally, making sure I’m never standing in someone’s view or interrupting the intimacy of a special moment. Being just five feet tall definitely helps with staying out of sight, it’s one of the unexpected perks of the job!
Over the years, some of the comments that have meant the most to me are things like, “Wow, you were everywhere, it’s like you teleport. I can tell you didn’t miss a single detail,” or “You move so fast for being so quiet.” That balance of presence without disruption is something I’ve worked hard to master, and it’s one of the things I believe truly sets me apart.
Whether I’m photographing a child discovering the world around them or quietly documenting the most meaningful moments of a wedding day, my goal is always the same: to create images that feel honest, beautiful, and lasting, while helping the people in front of my camera feel comfortable enough to simply be themselves.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
My mother always describes me as never sitting still, climbing and scaling everything, always talking, and changing outfits multiple times a day. So a handful to say the least. I still carry these same qualities as an adult haha. I love conversation, and chit chat, I still enjoy an outfit change a few times a day if I can, and climbing to reach things is a necessity when you’re 5 feet tall!
I use to be embarrassed by this but now I just fully accept it and share it. Those close to me know me for my life long obsession with the Titanic, like most millennial girls. I became infatuated with the movie from the moment I left the theater, and just never stopped loving it. Not only did I enjoy the movie but became infatuated with all of the history and facts that went along with it.
In 6th grade I met my best friend Lindsey Creech, so the rest of my young life and memories was us two connected at the hip and sharing all of our interests together, Harry Potter being one of the top things we connected over and watched together. It was the first movie we went to after becoming friends and so it was a staple in our friendship.
I’ve also always been obsessed with old homes, interior design, and renovating homes. My mother is an incredible interior designer and artist so I get a lot of that influence from her. Her paintings are some of my most prized possessions and are hung all over my house. She taught me a lot about art, and history growing up and I am so thankful for that!
Pricing:
- Portraits: $400+
- Weddings: $2500+
- Mini Sessions/ Headshots $200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://toriwharton.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toriwhartonphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToriWhartonPhotography/
