several weeks ago i was contacted by cindy.
her only son would be leaving for basic duty on 9.11
she wanted some family shots of them before he left.
one of the things that i am so passionate about in photography
is giving my clients, my friends,
images that are priceless to them.
capturing moments that many times can be overlooked
or maybe not overlooked, but maybe not captured forever in film.
i often times tell my clients at the beginning of the shoot
that i want them to feel comfortable. not posed.
i want them to interact. to laugh. to hug on. to just be with their loved ones.
they can go to any portrait studio & get a posey posey shot.
i want to give them a piece of memorable art.
as i mentioned earlier, nick is an only child.
as soon as he hopped out of the car & introduced himself,
i could tell he was a great young man
& a great young man heading off to serve our country.
he & i talked a little bit
nick has quite the family legacy of men that have served our country.
both his grandfathers,
one in military police, the other in medical corp.
a great uncle in Military Police/Air Force and the first Chaplain for the special forces in WWII.
another uncle also served WWII as a Private First Class
and yet another, served in the Air Force during Vietnam. He was a Sergeant in the Air Force from
69 to 73 for the strategic air command.
nick brought some of his grandfather's special pieces
which you see him holding in one of the images too.
i don't know that i have one every single time i do a session,
but i love when a thought comes to my mind, an image that truly will capture
& pull together the grandeur of the moment,
the thoughts & emotions...
i asked them if it would be too personal or could i take a picture of them praying over nick.
this may be one of the most honorable moments i have had the privilege
of witnessing....
dear nick & family
i thank you for the sacrifice you are making to serve our country.
what an honorable young man you are
& these images represent so much to so many people.
thank you...
such a cool post mom, one of my favorite stories so far. so powerful. you did an amazing job!
ReplyDeleteA huge thank you to Nick (and his whole family) for serving this amazing country. And big hugs to Cindy. Having a child go serve can not be easy on a Momma's heart.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite sessions you've shared with us. So precious Paige.
ReplyDeleteThat last photo left me breathless.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nick and family for serving all of ours.
May God bless you and keep you.
Destiny
thank you nick for your bravery. paige you have the most tender heart. the photos are moving.
ReplyDeletehaving a son of my own these photos are precious. nick's family will cherish these forever. how brave of his parents and how brave of nick - can't imagine how his mom feels knowing he is going to serve our country. her heart must hurt but it also must be so proud. best photo shoot you've done.
ReplyDeleteSimply Beautiful, the Photos, Story just all of it. Thank you to this Good Looking young man and may God keep him and all the others who serve our country safe. Can't wait for the photos of when he comes home to his Mom and Dad.
ReplyDeleteJamie
Precious photos! I actually know them but haven't seen Nick since he was a small boy! I will pray for them and am humbled by their sacrifice. Lynda
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images!!!!
ReplyDeleteso beautiful Paige and a reminder of the lives behind the faces of those brave men and women!
ReplyDeleteThese photos made me cry! May god watch over Nick and thank you for your service to our country!
ReplyDeletePaige, I always check your blog first thing of a morning with my coffee and these photo's made goosebumps in a great way! Thank you to Nick and his family for sharing and serving. God Bless
ReplyDeleteAs a mom of a soldier, these pictures are precious. It's hard, so hard. Thank him for me......on this date we all are remembering those that died in the towers. We also need to remember all of our soldiers that gave their lives or that their lives that have been altered due to this act of terrorism. Great pictures.
ReplyDeleteWOW! These pictures are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI'm a new reader to the blog and really really enjoyed these. Prayers for the solider and his family.
Tears on this one! So great to capture this family. Nick is darling and we'll be praying for him.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. So beautiful. God Bless Nick and his family and all military families. Thank you for sharing. Sincerely, Patti H. Livonia, Michigan
ReplyDeleteGives me chills and tears- God Bless Nick and his family!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. Beautiful.....
ReplyDeleteWell, today is that day. September 11 when Nick leaves for basic. I'm sure this is a proud, but sad day for his parents. I'm stopping right this second to pray for him. And for his parents. God Bless you, Nick. And ALL your brothers and sisters in the Armed Forces.
ReplyDeleteSuch perfect photos.
ReplyDeleteOnce again you have outdone yourself Miss Paige! I was praying over this family as I looked at each picture. I am so grateful for the brave men and women that serve our country every day. And thank YOU for sharing this story with us.
ReplyDeleteWhat an example of pictures speak louder than words. Well done. And what a day to send your son off to serve. Weighty.
ReplyDeletebeautiful idea!
ReplyDeletegood luck and thank you for serving, Nick!
sent my baby off to Navy boot camp on 9/11 also; i appreciate these photos all the more! to those so inclined, this Mom would love a little prayer for a WI boy named Logan!
~Crystal
Those are BEAUTIFUL!!! What a sweet family...you can see the pride in his parents. You did an incredible job.
ReplyDeletePricless, This is why we live in such an amazing country because of people like him, Thank you so much.
ReplyDelete*sp**Priceless.
ReplyDeletesome things I`ve been complaining about all morning are suddenly so unimportant. thank you Nick for your service.
ReplyDelete