WESTFIELD, N.J. (WCBS 880) — A commercial photographer who has worked with some of the biggest athletes and celebrities in the world is now focusing her camera on something a little more philanthropic.
LeBron James, Serena Williams, Drake and Taylor Swift have all posed for Jennifer Pottheiser.
Sidelined by the pandemic, the Westfield resident has decided to give back and turn her lens toward college graduates in New Jersey who have been deprived of all the pomp and circumstance this year.
"My niece graduated from the University of Michigan just a couple of weeks ago and I realized that we wouldn't have those pictures of her," Pottheiser said. "So I said, 'Maybe I'll start doing pictures of college graduates cause they're not going to get the opportunity to have pictures to make part of their family history.'"
She's been photographing graduates and their families on their front lawns.
"I have had parents visibly emotional when I get there and how happy they are that their graduate is being celebrated," Pottheiser said.
Pottheiser is not charging a fee for the sessions. Instead, she asks families that she photographs to make a donation to one of her chosen charities — FLAG (Front Line Appreciation Group) of UC-WNY-NB or Flag - Front Line Appreciation Group of South Orange/Maplewood who are supporting and feeding front line healthcare workers in area hospitals and using local restaurants to provide the food, or directly to The Community FoodBank of New Jersey.
"I want to be able to do the little bit that I can," Pottheiser said.
Those interested in setting up a sessions can reach Pottheiser at jen@drawbridgedigital.com or on Instagram at @pottheiser or @drawbridgedig.