Sometimes you just end up in the right place at the right time. When I’m photographing a homecoming, the moment a family reunites is pure magic. It’s always such a joy to watch the service members and their loved ones while I wait with my client as a click away capturing their emotion in the last minutes of waiting. Sometimes my client’s service member is one of the first ones out an we capture the hugs and kisses for a few moments before they head home – but there are still many families left waiting. In those cases, I try to find a family or 2 that doesn’t have a photographer and gift them images they weren’t expecting.
Since BWI is a large hub for military flights coming into the US, most of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are headed to a connecting flight to get home. There are usually about a dozen or so families at this stop in the journey.
Last night there was just one person left waiting, bouquet of roses in hand. As I approached him to explain that I’d love to photograph his reunion, he said “There he is!”
Camera in hand, I just started photographing this couple as they walked through the tunnel of girl scouts and Operation Welcome Home volunteers, past the terminal, out the doors and across the street toward the parking garage. Not wanting to interrupt their first moment together, I was thankful traffic stopped them before crossing the next lanes and – looking like obsessed paparazzi – I told them I had taken their photos and I would love to send them. Thankfully, they didn’t think I was crazy and we exchanged information before they fell into each others arms again and headed on their way.
Here’s what it looked like…
