A Golden Hour Homecoming: Hunter & Allison

Military Homecoming Photographer

Military homecomings are some of the most special sessions a photographer can capture. As a military spouse myself, I am no stranger to the big emotions, inevitable delays and sometimes unfavorable weather conditions that come with capturing a homecoming. Despite all that can go wrong, everything about the day just becomes right when the family of a service member gets their loved one back. It feels like time stops and nothing else in the world matters (speaking from experience here!).

My First Military Homecoming Session

This session was extra special for me, as it was my first official military homecoming as a photographer! I’ve witnessed one or two military members coming home, have even been through it myself a few times, but it was a whole new experience to witness an entire squadron comes home together. There were so many families and friends present and it was overwhelming in the best possible way. You couldn’t help but smile (and want to cry) as you witnessed young children and significant others anxiously awaiting the arrival of their loved ones. 

Hunter and Allison

Allison has become one of my dearest friends here in Spokane. The kindest soul, with a love for bringing people together, she is one of those people who will make you want to become a better person. Cheesy, but SO TRUE. She’s an absolute gem and I am so lucky to know her. Up until this point, I had not had the opportunity to meet Hunter. I was close friends with Allison for MONTHS and had never met her husband. While most friends might see an absent husband as a sign of concern-this is pretty common in the military community ;) I had heard many stories about Hunter at our weekly Bachelor nights, but never actually met or talked to him. How cool is it that I got to meet him during such a special moment?! 

A Solid Support System

In a few of these photos you will see Allison surrounded by her close girlfriends. I felt that these were so important to include with this gallery because when you’re married to someone in the military and move all over the country, the odds of living close to family can be rare. However, the friends you meet during this season of life are some of the greatest. Having a solid support system is essential to help both the service member and their family members thrive during a deployment. 

The Homecoming

Let’s set the scene: all day leading up to the homecoming it is a dreary, cold February day in Spokane. Nervous energy was mixing with this cold weather to create a buzz among the crowd waiting on the flight line. Minutes late it seemed like Spokane knew this was a special day, because right when the plane was landing, the clouds parted and the most beautiful sunset appeared over the runway. The jet lands, taxis (this step feels like it takes FOREVER) and then a set of airstairs are rolled up to the door for service members to exit. You can feel the tension as those airstrairs are being rolled out, it's the final barrier between you exactly what you’ve been waiting months for. Allison was waiting in excited anticipation and it truly felt like time slowed down. After seeing service members come down one-by-one Hunter finally gets to exit the aircraft and when he spots Allison and they hug, I swear you could have heard a pin drop. The emotions of such an incredible experience  are hard to describe. The quiet emotion of the initial greeting quickly turns into a joyous celebration! Everyone is smiling ear-to-ear and giddy at being reunited. As they grab Hunter’s bags and walk off of the flightline, with smiles as big as they can be, I’m reminded of just how thankful I am to be able to capture such special memories. 

Hunter and Allison: it was an honor to be able to capture the emotions of such a special day for you. I am so thankful you allowed me to document your authentic connection. Thank you both for being such great friends. 

Cheers!

-Meredith, “The Camera Kidd”