The L Family {OpLove Photography}

OpLove Disclaimer: "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense."

Ahhhh...what a super sweet family these three are!! Little A was just smiles and flag-waving...

I'm starting to think there's truly something about little boys with names starting with "A". The two cuddliest little buggers around the age of one I've ever worked with have both had that in common....hmmmmm.....(I get to see the other one again next week! yeah!)

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of soaking up some warm sun and soft breezes downtown, and to make it even better I had the L family to enjoy it with! Dad is home on R&R,  and it was so sweet to watch him with little A...and they were such a relaxed family; they made my job easy.

Thanks "Ls" for a wonderful afternoon. I'm so glad I was able to capture these memories for you!



Oh, those hugs & kisses {OpLove Photography}

OpLove Disclaimer: "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense." 

I have been in a particularly "huggy" mood this weekend, and today's OpLove Session sneak peek definetly demonstrates that. But when a young Soldier & Dad is heading off to far away lands, is there really anything more cherished than those hugs?

This family hugs their Soldier one more time tomorrow before blowing kisses goodbye and starting their countdown until those amazing & long-awaited hugs hello can come..

Safe travels; may the months speed bye and those hugs come quickly! xoxo 

Sweet Childhood {OpLove Photography}

It was so great to get out and play in the gorgeous fall weather last night with this fun-loving family.

Both Mom & Dad proudly serve our nation in the Army, but next week Dad is headed off to Afghanistan. I hope when he sees all the smiles & laughter in his album it'll help bring part of "home" to him downrange... I have to say that little "j" is just smiling and laughing throughout all the images, obviously surrounded by tons of love and laughter. So on top of Dad having some warm memories to cherish while he's away, I hope years from now "j" will look back on these images and forever remember just how fun it was to be that little kid playing with Mom & Dad.

We started off our session downtown, but "j" quickly led us in the direction of the trains; this little spot was so fun! I hadn't wandered back to this little part for a session yet, and I think you'll be seeing more of it in future images...

I just love capturing fun childhood moments like this one above....the honest smiles, genuine laughs...{sigh}

This little series below is "j" playing "Airborne!" with his Daddy Doll. His Dad flys him around like he's jumping out of an airplane and he yells "Airborne!"...so that's what "j" was doing with his doll. So cute!  {for those of you wondering what a Daddy Doll is, military kids whose parent deploys can get these little dolls for free; the face of the doll has a slot for you to put a photo of your Mom or Dad}

"D,"  "B" & little "j"....thank you so much for trusting this precious memories to me. I truly enjoyed getting to know you ... and a big thanks to "j" for discovering a fun new place for sessions :-)

"B"  - safe travels, and come home soon!

{OpLove Disclaimer: "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply and endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense."}

E & S {OpLove}

Congratulations to this sweet couple on their engagement!

While most couples who are engaged spend a year together tasting cakes, picking out DJs, and planning their honeymoon, these two will be writing letters, sending carepackages, and having "skype dates." Photographing them reminded me of my hubby's first deployment to Iraq; we weren't married yet, either, and although it was so hard to miss him so much, thinking back I cherish those letters and e-mails more than anything. We grew and connected in such a unique way - sharing our thoughts and dreams in the letters we wrote each other I know helped make our friendship & love so strong. This is what I wish for you, E & S, as well...

{This image above is E "hugging" his two precious little girls, who are in Michigan}

May this year speed by for you both! E- come home safe. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to meet you both, and I look forward to working with you again in the future. XOXO

{OpLove disclaimer: "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply and endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense."



Counting the Days! {OpLove}

So excited that I had the opportunity to work with this family again! We met up this summer for a family session when Dad was home...now that he's in Afghanistan, they're counting down the days, minutes, & hours until they can all be together again!

I cannot believe how much "C" has grown in just the past couple months; and I was loving that he was all smiles and giggles for these long-distance hugs & kisses being sent to Dad. Miss "J" was a great model, as usual, and really should win the award for best big sister. {and how gorgeous is Mom?!}

I know without a doubt that their Soldier is going to love having these moments to enjoy, and I certainly hope these smiles from home help the days go a bit quicker.

{OpLove disclaimer: "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement ot recommendation by the Department of Defense."

OpLove Session {downtown Fayetteville}

Thursday evening I had the pleasure of getting to photograph this lovey-dovey pair; capturing sweet kisses and glances and they prepare for facing a year apart. Married just about a year ago, they are still all doe-eyed toward each other...so sweet to witness!

This portrait of "C" is one of my favs of her that I captured. Something tells me this is one "M" will have in his "top ten" list for me to send to him overseas. She just looks so naturally radiant. And I just love that Tux & Sable, their surprisingly calm little chihuahuas, were sporting their patriotic bandanas and joining in on the fun. {Sable even had her nails painted for the occassion}

It was so wonderful getting to know you two! Thanks for being so fun & relaxed to work with...talk about making my job easy! I really look forward to photographing you both again in the future.  I hope you enjoy this little sneek peek - your gallery is soon to follow!

'till then.... "M" - safe travels! Come home safe, and come home soon. I'll be looking forward to seeing the two of you together again XOXO 

OpLove disclaimer: "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply and endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense."

Harley & Her People {OpLove Photography}

{OpLove disclaimer}

 "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense." 

 

Say "hello" to Harley and her two favorite People. I was lucky enough to spend part of Sunday morning with the three of them down at Linear Park here in Fayetteville. Between the adorable little puppy head tilts & kisses from Harley and the sweet adoring glances at eachother from this fabulous couple, I just couldn't get enough...

These two are just sweet beyond words, and seeing how in love they are just has kept me smiling all weekend. I loved going through their images as I was creating their gallery; almost every shot included them just all doe-eyed towards one another, and just like this one above they all just radiated with warm gushy feelings. Them having an incredibly well-behaved and uber adorable puppy just almost made it unfair...I mean c'mon! Since when do puppies just cozy up on a lap and tilt their heads just so like a photographer hopes they will? I was totally loving it! {And I have to brag a bit....this was the SECOND shot of the day. I could've just melted with happiness}

It's always my pleasure and honor to photograph an OpLove session.This couple was just so warm and easy-going; I truly hope I can be there to capture them reuniting when this deployment is over...

 

To "P" and "A": Thank you for this opportunity. Your personalities and love are infectious - you're both so wonderful to be around. I hope for you that this year flys by; stay safe & keep those smiles in your hearts...and may your Skype calls be clear & crisp without any awkward delays & video freezes {seriously!} 

XOXO Missie

 

The Wait is Over {OpLove Homecoming}

Photography, to me, is always all about the moment - the emotion, the spirit, the feeling, the person. The lighting and setting is something I usually control. But sometimes the moment is bigger than you, and you don't have a say in setting or lighting...and while the images you capture may not be the most technically perfect, what you are capturing is beyond that...

At 1:45 AM today I had the luxury and honor of being able to experience one of those perfectly imperfect portrait moments. A poorly lit field and a quite crazy hour of the morning...hardly a photographer's dream situation. But this was definitely one of those "bigger than me" moments - a soldier's homecoming after a year in Afghanistan. It doesn't get much bigger than that...

Those first glimpses of each other; the first hugs; the first kisses; the tears; the joy; the moment a family becomes whole again. All is right once again in their world. Nope, it certainly doesn't get much bigger than this. And the smiles say it all...

Welcome Home! It was truly an honor to capture this moment for you...Thank you XOXO

{disclaimer} "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense."

Operation: Love ReUnited {Fort Bragg}

As a photographer I truly believe my job is not just to take a photograph of someone, but rather to really capture a glance, an embrace, a laugh... a fleeting moment of time that is a story forever preserved. As one photographer I greatly admire wrote, "I do not sell paper."
A photograph, to me, is one of the most valuable things a person can own. It does not ever depreciate - in fact, it's one of those rare things in life that only gains value as it ages. It is something to cherish forever, something that is proof of "us," something that can be passed down for generations so that we are not forgotten.

I think {hope} that this is how all photographers feel, and this rather romantic outlook is the reason why I especially love photographing families. The idea that these moments will be theirs to look back makes me smile, and I love the thought of them all sitting around someday sharing these images with grandkids & great grandkids - telling stories, reliving memories, and honoring the amazing love & bond that they have.

Last evening I had the pleasure of meeting up with this beautiful family for an OpLove session. They're celebrating Dad's arrival home from Iraq for his R&R...and, of course, the fact that it's the start of summer vacation from school. Despite the "thick" heat outside, they were all just smiles & laughter, and I enjoyed every second of getting to know them. I can't wait to get their gallery out to them so that they can pick their favorite images for me to send downrange to Dad. I hope these memories help bring "home" to him so that the rest of the deployment just speeds by a little bit quicker...

If you would like to know more about Operation: Love ReUnited (aka OpLove) please click here. You can also find the information on my wesbite here, under the "information" tab.