Once in a blue moon the Army gets it right and brings friends back together. I was lucky enough to get to spend 3 amazing years with Alice and her family. We spent 1 year together at Fort Irwin where I convinced her to get in front of my camera which was no easy task as she prefers to spend her time behind the camera. Her session can be viewed here. Then we came back to together at Fort Bliss, TX where we were only separated by a couple of blocks for 2 years.
Alice and I have a special bond and you add photography to the mix and we are forever friends. She helped me when I took in a pregnant stray cat and adopted one of the kittens. Jill, the kitten, needed to stay in the “family” and Alice took her in and has now become a crazy cat mama. However, we all believe that her dog, Biscuit, thinks that Jill is his pet.
Unfortunately, the Army giveth and the Army taketh away. Their time at Bliss came to an end and they were going to head to the northeast while I stay here for what seems like an eternity. For those of you who don’t know this family I will try and help you to better understand why I am so sad that they are gone.
Alice is an amazing and loyal friend. She will go to the ends of the earth for her friends and even those she barely knows. She is a peacemaker and will do whatever it takes to make sure that everyone gets along. However, she is a Boston girl at heart and when that side comes out all bets are off and the fun starts. She will tell it to you straight and then give you a drink. Sometimes the drink comes first and that’s okay, too. There is also the calm Key West loving side to her that I haven’t personally experienced but listening to her talk about her vacations there makes me want to go even though I am not a fan of humidity.
Then there is Bill. He is the polar opposite and loves his alone time. He loves his family, his dog, and, he admitted this to me but I’m not supposed to tell, his cat. He is a true professional and loves his country and the Army. I will miss his calm presence (at least it’s calm around me) and unique sense of humor.
The wild one is next. Elizabeth (E) is both of them in one small and feisty package. That girl has so much energy I wasn’t sure I would be able to capture her in the images. I really wanted to share her personality and wit through pictures. I hope I succeeded.
Lastly, the fur-babies. Biscuit has to be the calmest Golden Retriever I have ever been around. He is also the most fearful. There are too many “Biscuit got scared when…” stories to tell but they are all what makes him. Jill is a sweet kitty who loves people and dogs. Unlike Biscuit she has no fear and wants to be included in everything. I will miss getting to take care of them when the family was out of town.
I got a bit carried away here but I love my Alice and will miss her terribly. They were living in their empty house and she asked me to get a few photos the day before they left so we went to the parade field by my house with the Franklin Mountains as our backdrop. It was a great evening and very fitting that you can barely see the mountains because of the winds kicking up the dirt. I hope you enjoy the images!
Warm up.
There were several images that are all over the place at the beginning. I needed to get everyone to loosen up a bit. The stress of moving was thick in the air and I didn’t want that to show through the entire time. E’s best friend had recently moved away and she was having a hard time with it all. I took the obligatory posed shots to relax everyone and then the fun began.
Adlers-1 Wind-1
E was rolling around in the grass so I dropped down to join her.
This one makes me think of a cat stretching.
I tried to get Alice and Bill alone but it didn’t quite work out. We’ll try again later.
Love Love Love
Gotta have the fun walking shots with the Franklin Mountains in the background. The dust storm made it perfect since that is a common occurrence here in El Paso.
This hug didn’t quite work out but I love it.
E grabbed their hands and brought them together.
I figured it was time to get them, okay, all of us, out of the sun and we moved to a shady area where I could try for some more family shots with a different look. However, they first had to try and clear E’s head of all the grass from the field rolling. My favorite from this next group is on my Facebook page.
Teamwork
Try not to choke your parents.
I’m guessing that since Alice is a photographer there aren’t a lot of photos of her with E. I know there aren’t. I had to take care of that and make sure to get some of just the two of them followed may E and Bill.
“Such a big miracle in such a little girl.”
Time for some relaxed images of Alice and Bill. He gave me some funny looks when I would give him some direction/guidance but it worked and I love the results.
Photobombed and it looks like it hurt.
P E R F E C T I O N
Golden hour, sprinklers, and E made for a perfect end to the session.
STOP!!!!!!!!!!!
Original version of this images is here.
I can’t believe I wore her out!
The fur-babies were hanging out at my house and yes, I took photos. They are part of the family and should be a part of this blog.
I am going to miss Alice and her family but I know that we will stay in touch. I know they love that they are close to family now and have a real home to call their own. Please let me know what it feels like to be a grown up. Your friendship has been amazing and I am lucky to have had 3 years together at 2 different locations. I look forward to seeing your images of Rhode Island once y’all get settled.
“Home is where
Love resides,
Memories are created,
Friends are always welcome, and
Laughter never ends.”
