Local Photographers Help Military Families

Operation Love Reunited is a non-profit organization that focuses on providing photography services to military families that are undergoing deployment.

The founder, Tonee Lawrence, said she developed the concept after her husband returned from serving overseas. Lawrence told KRDO Newschannel 13 she wanted to have a photographer capture her husband?s homecoming, but ended up without a single photo.

?Deployments are so hard on families and I just didn?t want anyone to go through that,? said Lawrence.

Local photographers volunteer their time through Operation Love Reunited, and provide two photography sessions for the deploying troops.

Stefanie Newcomb, an Operation Love Reunited photographer, said the soldiers can take family portraits before they deploy. Once the pictures are edited and compiled into an album, that album will be sent to the deployed soldier.

Newcomb also said the families can choose to take pictures while their loved one is deployed, surprising him or her with the album.

The homecoming of the deployed soldier is also photographed, and Newcomb said this is her favorite event to capture.

?Those are my favorites. When you go to the airport and get to see how they reunite and it?s very emotional. There?s times when I?m crying, I don?t see what I?m photographing and I?m just hitting the trigger,? said Newcomb.

The photography sessions are provided free of charge, with the cost of the prints covered by the volunteer photographers.

To qualify for the services, the soldier needs to be deploying to an area defined as a war zone. The deployment must also be for a duration of more than four months.

For more information, to locate a local photographer, or to become a volunteer, go to http://www.oplove.org/