SENIOR PORTRAITS – JESSICA HOTTER.
When I received an email from Jess asking to do some portraits for her, I was flattered. It’s always nice when a new (potential) client sees your work online and decides you are the person they want to photograph them. We made a plan to meet and I was expecting to have coffee with a high school senior. Surprise! Jess just graduated from Virginia Tech (and plans to stay for her Master’s as well) and wanted photos to commemorate her college graduation. Needless to say, I was feeling a bit more pressure.
Well, all that pressure went away immediately upon meeting Jess. You see, Jess is an incredible and super-friendly person. She’s easy to get along with and we immediately hit it off. However, I noticed a rather large Rottweiler by her side. On the phone she had asked if she could bring her dog with her, and of course I said “great!” You see, she and Malaki are inseparable, and she wanted her photos to feature him. Being an animal lover, I thought it was a fantastic idea and added a new challenge to our session! We took some time to do a test session after our meeting and when I saw how he behaved, I knew these photos would be fantastic!
Fast forward to Blacksburg a week or so later. The only specific shot Jess had mentioned was her on the steps of Burruss Hall on Tech’s campus. She wanted to show her cap, which she had cleverly customized with a play on words: “Now Hotter by one degree.” She also wanted to show the tattoo she has as a tribute to her mother. I was more than happy to oblige. Burruss Hall at sunset is lovely!
When I met up with Jess, we started walking around Blacksburg to find some nice places to shoot. After we started taking photos, it was clear the type of relationship Jess has with her dog. They go everywhere together. He’s her big buddy and they had a wonderful time playing in front of my camera! While challenging at times, I think the final photos were worth the effort. I swear, I think the big guy thought the session was more for him than Jess. He sure could ham it up for the camera!
Take a look and see just a glimpse of the fun the three of us had together that day!
