March is Women's History month! What better way to celebrate than by sharing this awesome military portrait session at NAS Pensacola featuring some female aviators in training. Here's how Juliette's Military Portrait session went:
Pensacola Photography
Our session took place at our beloved NAS Pensacola. Naval Air Station Pensacola is known as the 'cradle of naval aviation'. Many people know it locally as the home base of the Blue Angels. It's also where the United States sends its combat system officers and naval flight officers to train for their aviation roles in the military. In recent decades, there has been an increased emphasis on recruiting female aviators, a demographic that has long been underrepresented in military aviation.
Upon arriving to Pensacola for military service, Juliette was thrilled at the chance to begin training for an aviation role in the United States Air Force as a combat systems officer. There, she made friends with the other trainees - some of whom eventually became her friends! She used this photoshoot as an opportunity to make some unforgettable memories with her newfound friends out of an otherwise fleeting moment in her military career.
Female Aviators in the Military
Women have had a longstanding role in military aviation, despite facing adversity and discrimination along the way. During the second world war, women played an important role in aviation working as mechanics, test pilots, and chauffeurs flying warplanes from their factories to Army Air Corps bases. One of the most distinguished female flying units in WWII was the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Even for the acclaimed WASP unit, they were initially denied full military benefits for their service. Their rightfully-earned military benefits were not awarded to them until 1979, decades after the end of the war.
Military Portraits
Okay, with some history and context out of the way, let's get back to the session. Our portrait session started on the tarmac of Sherman Field; NAS Pensacola's own little airfield. Sherman Field is the airfield where Navy and Air Force personnel depart from on their training flights. We decided to take some photos in front of the planes these young women would soon be training on: the T-1.
The T-1 is a plane that all combat systems officers must master before officially earning their wings. It's a training plane that the students don't fly themselves, but instead direct the pilot and monitor important aviation instruments. It's a pretty cool bird, I must admit.
Juliette and her friends were very happy with the results of their sessions. One thing I enjoy most about doing military portraits is the priceless nature of these images. Decades from now, these images will still invoke sentimental feelings towards a chapter in one's life that was truly precious.
I've mentioned before that there are some really good reasons to book a military portrait session. I'd love to document your military service with images that will inspire you and your family for years to come. Get in touch with me today to schedule a session.
Now, here's how Juliette's images turned out:
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Austen Hunter Photography is a Pensacola, Florida photographer who specializes in senior picture photography, beach photography, fashion photography, graduation photography, military portrait photography and headshot photography in a bold, graphic style, from Destin and 30A Florida, to Pensacola to Orange Beach and Gulf Shores Alabama. Austen Hunter has been published internationally and is known for his bold, graphic, and clean photographic style. He uses a variety of both natural light and off-camera flash to capture images. People usually book Austen for outdoor portrait sessions or sessions conducted at his home studio.
