Imagine winning a trip to Nashville, receiving a brand new, state of the art camera and shooting a commercial with Taylor Swift. That dream became a reality for WHS alumna Emily Tebbetts, a current senior at Northeastern University.
Being a big fan of Swift, Tebbetts jumped at this incredible opportunity. She arrived in Nashville with the other finalist and was given her NEX-5R to shoot and explore the city. After one final interview, she was chosen as the winner and shot the commercial alongside Swift the next day.
Tebbetts said: “Taylor was just as nice and down to earth in person as she seems. We’re only a year apart age-wise, and it was easy to relate and chat like we were just friendly acquaintances.”
Tebbetts was also able to learn from the famous photographer Nigel Barker, who was a judge of the contest and also there shooting Swift. “It was incredible to watch them work together. It was flawless,” said Tebbetts.
Tebbetts said the commercial will run once every X Factor episode until the end of December; 93 times a week during PAC12 games and 17 times a week on channels like MTV, E!, ABC Family and Comedy Central.
While at WHS, Tebbetts did her senior project on photography. Said English Teacher Ms. Marie Percopo: “She used the senior project for exactly what it is meant to be used for. She expanded her knowledge and did something she loved.”
Being a communications major, Tebbetts is still unsure of what career path she will follow.
Said Tebbetts: “I hope this does lead to even greater things and launches a cool career. I already feel so blessed, and that would be the ultimate icing on the cake.”
Additional Reporting by Natalie Brennan