READING TIME: 3 min 59 sec
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/26/2025
UPDATED: 06/26/2025
For Sami Sogge, the soul behind Sami Photo & Film, photography was never just about the shutter click. It’s about telling stories the way our hearts remember them: unpolished, vivid, and full of life.
“My name is Sami Sogge and I have been a wedding and portrait photographer based in Nebraska since 2020. I started my business while in college studying international business and fashion merchandising, both of which I think attribute to my love of art, marketing, design and ultimately — wedding photography.”
But it was Florence, Italy, in the summer of 2019 that set everything in motion. Wandering cobbled streets with a camera, Sami captured “the hustle and bustle of tourists, a quiet moment between a local and their cappuccino on a work break, or picturesque landscapes at sunset.”
That taste of storytelling cemented what would become a career woven with authentic moments, captured in both digital clarity and the soft nostalgia of film.
Graduating college didn’t slow Sami down — if anything, it fueled her even more. “I spent two years post-graduation working a full-time marketing & brand management job on top of my photography work. I was working 60–80 hour work weeks often, but I never grew tired of photography and honestly, that was eventually the turning point that made me go full time. I was tired, but never of the days I spent up late editing or working 12 hour wedding days.”
Since 2024, Sami has embraced photography full-time, exploring new ways to create heartfelt wedding albums — including expanding her destination work and capturing stories on 35mm and 120 film.
Ask Sami to define her style, and she’ll tell you upfront: “I strive for my photography style to be versatile, emotion-focused, and intentional. I struggle with the word ‘timeless’ but truly want my work to showcase my clients in the most authentic and true-to-themselves way I can.”
It’s this candid honesty that sets her galleries apart. Shooting film, with its grain and beautiful flaws, brings extra layers of nostalgia: “They’re often maybe a bit grainy, a bit imperfect — maybe a light leak or a stray hand from a nearby guest makes it in the shot. That’s what I love most about them and why I have loved adding that aspect into my galleries.”
But there’s more to it than gear. “A main focus of how I capture wedding days has been learning to listen, observe my surroundings, and anticipate a moment. Making your clients, their friends and their family feel comfortable around you allows for more genuine and honest photos.”
Sami’s bag holds a well-loved mix of modern tech and timeless classics.
“My digital equipment is all Canon — I mainly capture wedding days with my R6 and the RF 28–70 f2.0 lens. For film, I love shooting on a variety to tell the story in a unique way at every session or wedding. My main film cameras are the Canon EOS 1V, the Holga 120N, Contax G2 and an Olympus point and shoot!”
Each camera brings a different texture to the story — a visual scrapbook for every couple.
At the end of the day, it’s not about perfect light or the sharpest focus — it’s about the people. “The people, the storytelling, documenting a legacy, and mixing art into all of it. I enjoy more than anything getting to capture memories that will bring people back to that moment for years and years to come.”
And when her couples tell her “you captured our emotions and personalities so well” — that, Sami says, is the greatest compliment she could ever receive.
Flexibility is part of her art, too. “Yes, many of my couples create custom packages to include a second photographer as well as film photography coverage. My main packages all already include engagement photos for the clients as well.”
No matter where you are or where your love story leads, Sami can follow. “While I love all of my Nebraska and Midwest weddings, destination weddings are also such a wonderful part of my business. I am thrilled to be capturing a wedding in my #1 favorite destination in the world — Italy this summer! It's feeling so full circle for my career as my love for photography really started in Florence in 2019. Other past favorite destination weddings have been in California and Florida!”
If she could whisper advice to herself starting out? “Trust your eye — even if it doesn't look like everyone else’s. It’s so easy to get caught up in the Pinterest and social media of it all in this industry. I felt so overwhelmed by it all for a long time. You have to remember your clients are booking you for — YOU. How you see the world is what sets you apart in the industry.”
She adds, “Your work will evolve, let it happen. You'll grow and your style may shift — that's a good thing! Give yourself grace and be confident in your work — nobody should be more proud of a way you captured a moment than you are.”
For those preparing to step in front of her lens, her biggest tip is simple: trust and enjoy it. “The more comfortable and authentic you are, the more your photos will feel like you.”
When she’s not preserving weddings for generations to come, you’ll find Sami thrifting vintage treasures, curled up with a book, or wandering a farmers market under the sun — always looking for stories, big and small, to love and remember.
For Sami, every click is a promise: that life’s best moments, messy edges and all, are worth keeping forever.
Ready to see your story through Sami’s eyes? Discover more about Sami Photo & Film here on Wezoree.
