Navy Deployment Homecoming at Pearl Harbor

Deployment Homecomings have taken on a whole new meaning to me now that I am married to a man in the military myself. I first met Christina when I shot her sister’s surprise proposal. She then hired me to do her maternity photos and has since taken on an internship with our photography studio in San Diego and Sara France! Christina is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and she is one talented photographer! When she asked me to capture her husband’s deployment homecoming I was so excited.

Homecomings have a palpable energy. You can’t help but feel emotional with so much anticipation in the air.

This day was so special. As with most things with the military, homecomings are up in the air until right beforehand. So I was on call for a few weeks before we confirmed the day and time. When we arrived there we lots of families and kids, dressed up with their signs, so excited to welcome their sailor home. It had been many months, some of which they could not make phone calls or hear their loved one’s voice. When the ship finally came in, all of the sailor were standing on the deck in their dress uniforms.

At a homecoming, the sailors don’t just walk off the boat. They are let off one by one or in groups. My favorite tradition is the new dads are announced and let off the ship first so they can meet their babies that were born while they were away. Tears!

Christina wasn’t sure how her daughter Addison would react to seeing her dad. We were warned by an experience military wide and mom that it would be normal for her to cry and not want to go to him right away. Well, as you can see, Addison didn’t skip a beat and ran right to her daddy. It was the greatest and I’m so happy I was there for it.

RACHEL JAY IS AN EXPERIENCED WEDDING, ENGAGEMENT, AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER SERVING ALL COUPLES AND FAMILIES ON OAHU, HAWAII AND BEYOND.