I normally don’t work on Sundays.
So when the Statesman called on Friday and wanted me to shoot Sunday morning, I said hesitantly, “well…what is there to shoot?”
It was a homecoming ceremony for troops returning from an 18-month deployment in Iraq. Going against my usual work ethic, I said okay, thinking that if I was going to work on a Sunday, at least it’s a very good reason.
I’ve photographed several deployment ceremonies, where the mood is somber and anxious, but this was my first time to see the troops as they were welcomed home.
I considered myself lucky to be able to capture the celebration as the men and women of Bravo Company 1-141 Infantry Battalion were reunited with their families. As I drove away after the shoot, the only words I had to describe the day were “pure joy.”
These are some of my favorite images of the day. You can see more on the Statesman’s web site here.