Jasmin Smith has always had a passion for photography
Looking to sharpen her skills, recently the 28-year-old decided to invite neighbors over for free portraits
Among those who stopped by were a neighbor she hadn’t met before, a man named Victor, and his dog, Molly
Jasmin Smith has always had a passion for photography, but it wasn’t until recently that the 28-year-old, who lives in Austin, began pursuing it more seriously.
While sharpening her camera skills, Smith came up with a creative idea: she’d invite neighbors over for free portraits — offering short sessions at no cost, and longer ones for a small fee. She posted the offer in her community’s Facebook group, and before long, people started showing up at a spot nearby.
Among those who stopped by were a neighbor she hadn’t met before, a man named Victor, and his dog, Molly. Though they’d never spoken, Smith says she often saw him walking Molly in the evenings.
“When he walked up, I said hello, and he asked how it all was going with my portraits,” Smith tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I let him know I love the location because it’s a sneaky good spot with greenery right in our neighborhood, and asked if he wanted a photo.”
“He quickly said ‘no,’ but that he would love one for his pup Molly,” she recalls.
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Smith was immediately sold on the idea.
Victor gently placed Molly on the chair but she promptly hopped off. He called her back up and carefully helped her settle into place. Staying right by her side, he gave her a few gentle pats as Smith snapped some glamour shots along with a sweet behind-the-scenes moment on video.
“Photographing Molly was a small challenge because she was such a happy girl and didn’t necessarily want to sit super still,” Smith says. “But watching how her owner and her interacted, that was the story I wanted in the photos. I kept in the shots of him patting her and her looking up at him because it was easy to see, even in that under-one-minute session, that they have a beautiful bond.”
“After Molly hopped back off the chair, I let him know we’d snagged some good ones,” Smith adds. “He asked a bit more about myself, then said thank you, and they continued on their walk.”
Jasmin Smith
Jasmin Smith takes photo of Victor and Molly
As someone working to grow her photography business, Smith was excited to share the wholesome moment online. She posted the video on TikTok, exited the app, and went to meet with a new client — who had actually found her through the platform.
Only after the meeting did she see a text from her husband: “Uhhhh, have you seen your video?!”
“When I checked, it was gaining a lot of traction! When it hit 10,000 views, I thought, ‘Wow, I really made it,’ ” she says. “Imagine my surprise when I woke up the next morning to over half a million.”
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Jasmin Smith
Photo of Molly the dog
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The video has since surpassed 1.4 million views.
“Everyone was asking for the photos, and luckily I had just finished finalizing them before posting the video,” Smith says. “I was able to get those live the same day. I’m so grateful to everyone who has liked, commented, and shared — it really means so much.”
She adds how Victor’s family later reached out to her with a heartfelt message.
“These are adorable … she was so dirty, and when Vic told me you took snapshots of her, I was like, ‘Oh great — she’s getting a bath on Monday,’ ” Victor’s wife told Smith, she says, continuing. “The posts were amazing! Vic is sick with a tooth abscess and it cheered him up. The music made it. You made my heart leap with joy, just to know others see what I saw when we adopted her from Doodle Dandy Rescue. The pictures and this were an amazing experience — I just want to share it with everyone!”
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