Hampton Roads, Virginia Documentary Photographer | Jess Nicole Photography
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the blog

where stories are told

Waffles, Birthday Cake, and Family: An In Home Session in Chesapeake, VA

3/21/2023

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This is my second time meeting this family, but my first time being invited into their home. I felt the importance of this particular session because Mama had let me know ahead of time, when we were session planning, that her mother-in-law had survived a very serious and very scary stroke and that they were so thankful to be able to spend Christmas with them (and yes, I realize it's March now and I have been a bit back logged on blogs- but it's still important and relevant to share!)
Their home is filled with love and memories. Pictures of them are everywhere from all of their adventures and you can tell they really love being able to do life together. And the icing on the cake? There are so many precious animals and critters to cuddle and enjoy! (I made a funny little pun there because there was literal cake involved in this session!) 
kid making waffles in kitchen in chesapeake, virginia
teenage boy with grandmother in kitchen icing a cake
This is incredibly heartwarming to me. I wish I had pictures of myself with my grandparents baking and cooking in the kitchen together. You won't know how precious these kinds of photographs are until it's a bit too late. I'm so happy for this family and that they decided to have a morning in-home storytelling session together. They don't say "the kitchen is the heart of the home" for nothing! 
family gathered to sing happy birthday
mom and son licking batter off the mixer
Want a session like this of your own? Let's talk about how I can preserve some of these memories for you so that you can have something tangible to hold onto. Click here or on the Contact tab above to get the conversation started!
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Made for Documentary Exhibit : Documenting 2022

3/14/2023

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I was making my usual morning cup of Earl Grey in my favorite mug a few weeks ago and I heard the familiar notification sound that my phone makes when I get an email. I open up my account and my eyes are slow to adjust, but I think it says that one of my images was selected for exhibition. 
I see words like "congratulations" and phrases like "the competition was tough" and "the standard was high".  
I blink. Re-read it again. 
And then again.
I see a link at the bottom to view the exhibit and I scroll down and I see a very familiar picture...a photograph I made. 
And it hits me then that my work was included among so many talented photographers that I deeply admire and look up to. And an environmental portrait that I made was included among theirs. 
I am so filled with gratitude and honestly, I am humbled. 
To the amazing jurors, thank you so much for seeing the magic that I see in this photograph and for believing in my work. 
boy with tiger tattoo on his chest with life jacket on in black and white
My caption that went along with the photograph was this: "Portrait of a neighborhood kid. One of the only positives of the lockdowns for us was the resurgence of neighborhood playdates and old school fun outside. I’m forever inspired by the neighborhood kids hard at play."
To see the whole exhibit, please click here. It's so inspiring! 
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chesapeake maternity session at home | chesapeake, virginia

3/6/2023

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If you ask me, there is nothing quite like a maternity session done at home. Are they different from more traditional maternity sessions, where you pose with a pretty gown? Oh yes, very. Is it very different from a normal family session with me? Not particularly. I love to see "the bump" in it's natural habitat! 
And I don't know about you, but once I hit a certain point in pregnancy, I just really wanted to hang out at home and be comfortable. What about you?
pregnant woman laying on bed with dog
This session was filled with the easy comfort that comes just from being at home. As I arrived, I was greeted by a level 5 blowout from soon-to-be big brother that was so bad they had to just use trauma sheers to cut everything off of him. Ha! Me, a mother of 3, walks in, camera in hand, totally unphased, begins shooting the momentary chaos. 
pregnant woman making pour over coffee in home
I came on a Monday and it happened to be a federal holiday, so the Dad was there too, and soon to be big-big-brother had the day off of school. So, naturally, we played super hero, blocks, had nap time, looked at a few books, made the most delicious smelling pour-over coffee and enjoyed it in the playroom/Florida room. 
baby crying in crib with mother holding his hand
With permission, I am going to use a bit of words written by the mama (now I call her friend) I photographed. 
"Worked through a lot of vulnerability before doing this shoot. Mainly how big I feel and how it might look to be holding a baby (with medical needs) and then be actively pregnant again. I wanted the house to be magazine worthy. In short, we have never had the opportunity to do family photos of any kind so I put a lot of pressure on myself to make it extra special....By doing this kind of shoot, there was some growth that happened. Letting go of it all and just being. " She also went on to say, " it was the perfect reminder to just be fully present and literally nothing else matters. That the simple moments of the ordinary are the ones we will crave and cherish the most as nostalgia will grip us in the years to come." - Jessie K.

mom cuddling baby in bedroom
mom folding baby blanket with family in background
little boy crying and being comforted by his dad
If you want your easy-like-Sunday-morning maternity session, I am here for you! Let's get that conversation started. You can message me from the Contact tab above or just click here. I can't wait to hear your story. 

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    Jess is a photographer serving families located in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She specializes in documentary and storytelling photography.

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What Clients Are Saying

" Jess came into our home and captured beautiful memories for us that we will cherish forever. She made us feel at ease and just captured us as we are- you could actually see everyone's true character in the shots. These are the moments that make up the good stuff of life. It's what's real. It's what matters."

"Jess, I appreciate you more than words can express and I thank you for always capturing my family in the most perfect, honest way, so that people who don't know us, see who we are."

"Jess, you're family now."

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family photographer Jessica Hubbard located in Chesapeake, Virginia
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  • Home
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