Jessica Malone: Capturing Beauty QUICK SCROLL Photographer highlighting women’s stories beyond forty, redefining beauty and success. jessicamaloneportrait.com By Sheila McLaughlin Who is Jessica Malone? “I’ve been through transformations that shaped me into the photographer, educator, and human I am today,” says Jessica. She began experimenting with self-portraits in 2009 and soon booked her first wedding shoot. After earning her master’s in education in 2015, she moved into teaching and public speaking. In 2026, she will take the stage as a keynote speaker at WPPI, one of the world’s largest photography conferences in Las Vegas. Her goal will be to educate other artists on becoming monetarily successful despite the cliché that a career in the arts means a life of struggle. “I’d like to eradicate the phrase ‘starving artist’ from our lexicon in society,” Jessica explains. Chasing What Inspires Jessica’s ability to inspire feels wholesome and grounded in truth from a path she’s walked personally. “I was an accidental photographer, the light bulb moment didn’t happen. I just followed what felt good and fun, and exciting. To find your purpose, just follow what lights you up. That’s your compass.” For three seasons now, Jessica has produced her “40 over 40” project, a collection of portraits and interviews encouraging women over the age of forty to exist in the media, in photos, and in their community. After capturing over 120 women, she has found women share a general belief. “It gets better with age. I believe life really begins for women in their forties. You hear stories from the world that once in your forties, you’re put out to pasture. You’ve had your wedding photos, your maternity photos, now you’re hiding behind a belly and family. When do you allow the photos of just you? The truth is, one day people are going to look for photos of you...” The beauty in Jessica’s photographs is not only from a vintage appeal, but the raw beauty we hold despite what life has thrown at us. Framing the Future Three years in the making is her eighteen-card tarot deck shoot. Portraits are conducted in representation of various tarot cards. A project she is hoping to complete by this October. She also has another “40 over 40” project projected for the spring of 2026. Jessica’s plan is to expand her studio and business, currently in downtown Gallipolis, Ohio to a space capable of hosting workshops and courses meant to inspire and educate other photographers.
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