Corrina + Brett | Homecoming | Fort Riley, KS | Rose Wheat Photography

“Good evening welcome to Fort Riley.”

“Goooood evening,” said in the voice of Dracula, quite unintentionally.

Strange accents have a tendency to come out that late at night.

It was just before midnight, and I was traveling onto post, camera gear in tow. Never had I expected to be commissioned to shoot something quite that late, but never had I expected to feel such a duty to do so.

“Duty first,” the guard exclaimed quite appropriately as I drove deeper  into the fort that night.

When I walked into the redeployment center, I half expected a communal nap to be taking place. To my pleasant surprise the buzz was just as strong then as it was weeks before when I saw my husband return from war at three in the afternoon. Apparently the time of day has no bearing on the level of love one person holds for another. Sometimes some things cannot be contained no matter how long the past day, the past week or the past year has felt.

Corrina needed someone. Searching since November, she found me by chance through a mutual friend days prior to her husband’s return. I was reluctant to shoot. It was different and strange. There were no controlled factors or posed shots, just raw emotion and fluorescent light. Despite the seemingly undesirable factors, the entire experience exceeded my expectations on a level I can't even begin to describe.

It was Valentine's Day and hands down one of the best ways to welcome in the holiday.

Corrina's friend Kailyn spotted her husband first. The building was packed with soldiers fresh from Afghanistan as well wives and families ready and wait to see those very soldiers. Sometimes it takes a good long while before you can actually see or touch your spouse or loved one.

Finally! There's nothing like this feeling!

Congratulations to families being reunited and to love being reignited!

Have a beautiful Tuesday folks!