Why an At-Home Military Homecoming Session Might Be the Perfect Fit for Your Family...(and why I love photographing them just as much as the traditional pier + airport kind!)

If you've ever watched a military homecoming video online or you have ever attended one, you know that the pier is packed with people, flags are waving, it's loud, kids are on shoulders, banners are everywhere, everyone is screaming or crying...it's easy to feel like that is the "right" way to do it. The big moment is here! Finally! It's the big cathartic reunion!


I love homecomings. They are powerful. They are dramatic. They embody the very essence of documentary photography.


But, after years and years of doing this, I've come to appreciate the other alternative too...one that doesn't get talked about nearly as much.

The quiet one. The private one. The one that happens in your driveway or your living room- not in front of 2,000+ people and news crews.

And believe me, this version is just as real, just as emotional, just as sacred.

At home military homecoming in norfolk, virginia

Why Some Families are Embracing an At-Home Military Homecoming Session

  • For some families, they need a quiet and calm atmosphere. It's less overwhelming, but with all the joy! Piers, hangars, and terminals can be chaotic to say the least. It can be 100+ degrees, thousands of people, a band, traffic, security, noise, lines, "where is the potty?!", unpredictable timing....and sometimes HOURS of it. And for folks with anxiety, little kids, or those with some more special needs...the typical homecoming may not be a good fit. Home is familiar and safe. Everyone can breathe. Just because your family may have some special circumstances doesn't mean that you shouldn't have the experience of a homecoming...photography included!
  • You still get the real reunion- the moment that they walk through the door or pull in the driveway, kids running across the yard, a dog leaping into their arms (their person is finally home!).... and a spouse who didn't have to hold it all together in public. Let's face it, you've been doing that for months. You can just let your guard down, finally. No audience, no reporters, no wrangling kids.
  • Everyone can participate in a homecoming done at home. I've been to one where neighbors lined the streets to welcome the service member home! This is kind of a logistical nightmare when you are trying to get everyone onto a secure facility, but at home, it's no big deal. Extended family, neighbors, friends, pets- everyone can come! But if you just want it kept private, then that's okay too! It's your day!
  • You don't have to perform your emotions. Hey, not everyone is comfortable crying in front of a crowd! Some people want to laugh, scream, or just melt. When it's your people you are surrounded by, then it's just natural.
  • Whether at home or on the pier, military homecoming photography results in photos you WANT to print. This is the good stuff. Core memory stuff.
family laughs and celebrates on a white porch during a festive military homecoming with a silly string battle in the front yard. norfolk, va

This family chose to welcome their service member home with an epic silly string battle in the front yard!

Who Might Benefit Most from an At-Home Homecoming Session?

  • Families with young kids or babies
  • Immunocompromised families
  • Sensory Friendly Families
  • Families who don't do big crowds
  • Service members who want a private reunion
  • Service members who want all of their people to be there, but might not be able to get them all on base

You don't have to choose one or the other

Some families do both: a quick, simple pier/hangar moment and then the "real" return at home. Some don't go to the base at all and only do at home.

Some have skipped homecoming photography all together because they've thought, "well, this just isn't for me." And if that's been you, consider this your invitation to rethink that.

There is no rule book. There is no right or wrong way to reunite. This is your family, you get to make it feel like YOU.

Are you ready to talk about a homecoming session that fits your family?


Whether your service member is coming home in a few days or six months from now, let's plan something that feels true to your family.

I photograph homecomings on base and at home throughout Hampton Roads and surrounding areas including Langley Air Force Base, Oceana, Norfolk Naval, Little Creek, and airports in between.

Flexible payment plans and flexible days- that's the name of the game in military life, iykyk.


The waiting is the hardest part. Just contact me and I'll take care of the memory making. Click here to get the convo started.