A special Reunion // California // Truth Session // Weeno Photography

I have been photographing weddings for 8 years! 8 years! And in the beginning of shooting weddings, I had butterflies. I was nervous. I would at the end of the day collapse and then hurry and rush to get the photos onto my computer. 8 years later, I’m no less excited for them, I just know how to handle my excitement for them. I know what to expect, I’ve invested into the timeline and our couples. The day doesn’t seem quite as daunting.

Driving to this Truth session, all those feelings of nervousness came back. I was going to photograph a fly in. A coming home. A reunion.

When I first got the email asking if I would even be willing to do this, I knew I HAD to. I grew up in the small town where a lot of my friends parents were in the military. I’ve heard all about these “fly ins” and have even seen photos. I’ve always always wanted to be at one. So when the chance came, I knew I HAD to fly my bum to California and shoot it. I also knew that I didn’t want to go just to the base and shoot. I wanted to come in earlier and leave later. I wanted to come into the home, and see the excitement build. The mom asked for a truth session, so she was right on board. We chatted a few times, and it was official. Kellen and I would plan our California trip around this particular shoot.

That morning, I woke up and got dressed. I had dreams that night that I overslept and missed it. WOW! All the feelings of my first weddings. I met mom and the kiddos at their house. She was frantically cleaning, checking things off lists, and her kids just hanging out. The little one, he didn’t really seem to understand that dad was actually coming home! That it was just being said anymore, but that it was actually happening. He was just going along with the day. We packed them in the truck, and took the 20 minute drive out to the base. The closer we get, the more the excitement filled the air. We arrived on base, parked, and unloaded the car. He was just a mere 50 minutes away. After 8 months of being gone, he was less then an hour away!! As we walked into the hanger, I saw these ladies. I saw the bond that they had. They team together as a unit, and take care of each other. Its amazing how that works. I loved being able to see it. Some were crying just out of happiness for the others. Our little man was a wild child, and couldn’t stay still. He still didn’t quite get that dad was coming home. THEN! The fly over! The jets flew over us in formation, and my heart stopped beating, and then beat 100x faster then normal. There they were. They were home safe. The wives could take a deep breath, and know that their other half was just seconds away.

A few minutes later they taxi’d the jets in ( I thought they would fly in, but duhhh they’d be so loud!), and they came into their parking spots. The families were anxiously awaiting their qui to run! The pilots got out of their jets, and yes it was like top gun. They walked towards us in a straight line, in their uniforms, with roses in their hands. It was a movie. My heart was beating so fast at this point that I had no idea what I was doing. JUST GET THE SHOT!!!! We ran towards the pilots, and there he was. There was the dad that they had waited so long for. The dad that they called hero. The dad that fought for us, and our country. The dad that plays with them, that reads with them, that loves them. There he was in flesh and bones. HE WAS HOME!

 

We got to hang out a little, eat some in n out. The kids faces changed, they were glowing. The little boy, he finally stopped running everywhere and just kept looking up at his dad with a HUGE smile. It was glorious. When it was time to go, the kiddos asked dad to sit in the back with them. He obliged and did. They smiled the whole way home. When we got home, they gave him his presents and gave him some more hugs. There was a lot of laughter, a lot of love and a feeling of relief.

 

When I left, I had a new sense of thankfulness to our country. I’m not patriotic, and that day I was beaming for our country. I never really realized what families go through. What parents go through, all for us. For you, for me. I’m so grateful. So today, on the 4th of July I share this session with you. I hope you can see how great it is that we have men and women who are willing to leave their families behind so they can fight for us. I hope you can see the parents who are left behind to take care of the everyday stuff, and how much they sacrifice for us too. How both sides are heroes. That without either one of them, we wouldn’t be where we are. I’m in complete awe. I’m so happy I got to do this shoot! Thank you to this special family! I was so honored to be there for you.

Happy Independence Day!