Website: https://www.southernsilosphotography.com/
Instagram (Bloom Again Photography):
https://www.instagram.com/bloomagainphotography
Past:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094430037666 Instagram (boudoir): https://www.instagram.com/southernsilosphoto_boudoir/Instagram (weddings): https://www.instagram.com/southernsilosphotography/
When I start a post with so many AKAs known already you know it’s going to be a long one.
*nmp* is a new one to me for what I am assuming means “not my photos.” Even if it was widely known what nmp meant even spelling it out doesn’t matter – you can’t use photos to advertise your own work without permission from the copyright holder. Full stop.
There’s at least one post in a local group that was found with stolen wedding photos and no disclaimer about these not being her photos and I’m sure there’s more that I haven’t been sent (yet).
One thing I noticed when searching this photographer out is that she posts *everywhere* so check your local Facebook Groups to make sure she’s not in there. She’s based in North Carolina but I found posts in Pennsylvania, New York, Montana, Tulsa, Colorado, Tennessee, Salt Lake City, Pensacola, Chattanooga, Outer Banks, basically everywhere in the United States she’s in a local wedding group.
While the copyright infringement is the main story here, there is also a side story that Courtney allegedly has a history of not delivering photos/is slow to refund and is why she’s changed her business name in mid 2023 after conversations like this popped up in local groups. This story is at the bottom of the page with the update.
Update 1/29/2024:
It turns out the above was just the tip of the iceberg and there’s a lot of people out there who have had issues with Courtney.
In summary – she has allegedly canceled many times on clients at the last minute for boudoir sessions and weddings. She has allegedly sometimes sent in subpar photographers but sometimes she hasn’t sent in anyone at all. This girl allegedly gets covid a LOT. She allegedly rarely delivers albums. She allegedly owes a LOT of refunds.
She also posted this as an excuse before unpublishing her Facebook page.
Update 2/14/2025: Southern Silos Photography by Courtney Smith was not deterred by her post here and unfortunately has continued on.
Today I was notified that Boston’s 25 news has posted an article (and also aired the same) about a couple in Boston who hired Courtney for $1200 which was to include the travel from North Carolina. They mention Photo Stealers in the article! Anyway, the couple hired Courtney who called shortly before the wedding claiming that she ‘accidentally’ booked her flight for the wrong year and she ended up hiring another photographer for $700. Unfortunately she didn’t pay the photographer she sent so those images haven’t been sent to the client. What a mess.
After seeing the article and recognizing the name I looked Courtney / Southern Silos up on Facebook and there’s been a few posts since my original post about her from various clients.
Allegedly she’s rebranded to ‘Bloom Again Photography’ which still, at this time, does have an Instagram link. I’ve also seen “Always Yours Photography” may possibly be hers as well.
One of her brides made a TikTok about this in January when stuff started coming out, yet again, that Courtney Christine Smith of Southern Silos Photography was not fulfilling her contracts. This bride hired Courtney for their 2025 wedding. The night before their engagement session Courtney replied to a message confirming their location (in Philadelphia) stating she was having a “co shooter” do the engagement session because she had the flu and claimed she’d still be editing. The bride goes on to show screen captures of Courtney bailing on a wedding due to “somebody” dying. The comments have other clients who had bad interactions with Courtney as well.
It’s wild seeing how often my post about her was shared in conjunction with the story being spread on Facebook.
Another PSA post from a bride who had a similar story about Courtney canceling the morning of the wedding because her “family was in need of me for a very serious thing” but she assured the client she was in good hands and promised extra product to make up for it.
The bride reached out to the photographer that she worked with the day of after Courtney made it sound like Jill (the fill in photographer) didn’t send over all the photos correctly. In the end she was able to send over some photos that she was able to recover from the cloud from the wedding but Courtney never delivered herself.
On the above post another client appeared in the comments. Courtney no showed at their wedding along with the coordinator (unclear if they were hired through Courtney or not).
There are a LOT of clients who chimed in on that thread all with similar stories of Courtney either ghosting completely or sending in someone at the last minute and not delivering the files.
So yeah, I think I can confidently say that Courtney is still on her bullshit and is likely in the middle of a rebrand. She has seemingly branched out from North Carolina though and people all along the East Coast are reporting issues so keep an eye on local groups and report to the admin if you see her posting (and screencap it for me before you do!).
Follow Photo Stealers Substack / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Discord
Stolen Photos:
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Other Issues:
Ya’ll, there’s more issues here than are in the backlist of Newsweek.
Weddings:
It seems the general complaint with weddings is that she allegedly has a tendency to cancel at the last minute, sometimes sending in subpar photographers, sometimes just saying tough luck. There appears to be a trend with a tough time getting refunds.
- May 2022 client – never got photos from the wedding Courtney photographed. Took to court to get a refund and was granted one. It was made back to them in payments which they had to remind Courtney to give every time one was due.
- August 2022 client – Courtney cancelled the day of the wedding due to covid and sent in a replacement photographer. The photos are terrible and they requested to see the RAW files to see if anything could be saved. The file folder name was “assholes” when shown. A refund was promised but not given at last update.
Editor’s Note: the photos are really bad.
- August 2022 client in Pennsylvania – ended up opting to do an elopement instead of a wedding. Courtney agreed to a refund since they paid in full. Eventually did refund at the last possible minute per their agreement.
- October 2022 client – Courtney cancelled the day of the wedding due to covid and did not send a backup photographer. Client had to threaten to sue to get refund which was given in payments.
- April 2023 client – booked Courtney for wedding and boudoir. Boudoir session took place in June 2022, only saw a few photos from the session. In December client saw all of the negative reviews popping up and wanted to cancel after getting nervous for the upcoming wedding. Agreed to a refund minus $500 for the boudoir session package (which included an album). Took months to get album (which was from WalMart) and it’s unclear if they ever got a refund.
Boudoir:
The complaints about the boudoir sessions is that they’ve often allegedly been cancelled multiple times before they go forward, if there is time before the wedding. If they do go forward, it seems there’s a struggle to get the album that is a part of the package.
- One client had three attempts at a boudoir session cancelled because Courtney had covid.
- Another client enjoyed her session but never got her album that was part of her package.
- One client had multiple dates cancelled due to covid or the flu. Eventually did receive a refund but wasn’t able to get in a boudoir session before her wedding.
- One client had a mini boudoir session with her and it took a lot longer to get the photos than promised but she did eventually get them.
- One client Courtney kept cancelling w various excuses. Finally had the session and another random photographer showed up she didn’t warn the client. Never got album. Claimed lost in mail.
- One client Courtney left in the middle of the session and agreed to send a $120 refund which was not sent.
Photographers:
Allegedly has a history of not paying the people she subcontracts work to, often on a last minute basis.
- One photographer did work for her and did not get paid for the wedding they photographed.
- One photographer contracted Courtney to photograph a job for them and the work was terrible. Courtney agreed to refund the money paid but blocked them and did not refund.
Misc:
- Hired as a wedding planner/coordinator. Sent in a replacement who was terrible. Agreed to $500 refund, only refunded $400
- Appears to post ISOs for photographers to cover her at the last minute frequently in various groups.
Yesterday after my post one of the photographers who were stolen from made a post and after I saw that Courtney’s excuses I broke my own rule of not touching the poop and jumped in.
