I am a huge advocate that military milestones deserve more than a few hurried photographs from a phone.

For Nicole, that lesson came a few years earlier when her husband, Brandon, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. At that time, a coworker kindly stepped in to take photographs of the ceremony, but the images didn’t quite capture the moment the way she had hoped. Important details and expressions were missed, and there wasn’t a photograph that fully preserved the significance of the day in a way she could frame and look back on.

So when Brandon was selected to take command of the 1st Recruiting Battalion, Mid-Atlantic, Nicole knew she wanted this moment documented differently, especially considering the setting for this particular chapter was on Philadelphia's Independence Mall, with the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall just steps away.

A Change of Command in Philadelphia

On June 30, 2026, Brandon assumed command of the 1st Recruiting Battalion, Mid-Atlantic, 1st Brigade, U.S. Army Recruiting Command.

The ceremony took place on the lawn next to the Liberty Bell, during the week of July 4th as the country celebrated its 250th anniversary. With Independence Hall just steps away, it felt like a particularly fitting setting for an Army Change of Command.

A Change of Command ceremony is about much more than the formal exchange of responsibility. The passing of the guidon represents the transfer of authority from one commander to another, making it one of the most meaningful moments of the ceremony and one Nicole specifically asked me to photograph.

The Part That Happens Around the Ceremony

Brandon's Change of Command came somewhat unexpectedly.

At 18 years into his Army career, the family had assumed retirement at 20 years might be on the horizon. Instead, this new command meant another chapter and another move, this time bringing Brandon to New Jersey to lead a battalion serving the Philadelphia and New Jersey recruiting region.

For their family, it was a particularly significant summer with one daughter away at college and two more graduating high school. The Change of Command wasn't simply a professional milestone for Brandon. It was a rare moment when everyone was together at the same time. Nicole wanted photographs that reflected that.

After years of deployments, moves, graduations, promotions, and the general rhythm of military life, these moments can pass quickly. The family changes from one season to the next before you realize it. This was one of those moments worth slowing down for.

Photographing Military Ceremonies with Intention

When I photograph a military ceremony, I know there are two stories happening at once.

There is the ceremony itself: the formation, the remarks, the salutes, the passing of the guidon, the formal traditions that mark an important point in a service member's career.

And then there is everything surrounding it.

The spouse watching from the audience. The military kids watching their mom or dad continue their journey. The family members who traveled to be there. The hugs afterward. The way everyone looks at the service member with pride once the ceremony is over and the formalities have finally ended.

Those are often the photographs that become the most meaningful years later.

For Brandon and Nicole's family, we made time immediately after the ceremony for family portraits while everyone was still together and Brandon was still in uniform. We photographed the entire family, smaller family groupings, and the individual relationships that Nicole wanted her children to be able to remember.

Because while the Change of Command marked a new chapter in Brandon's Army career, it also marked a very specific moment in their family story. Their children were growing up. One was preparing to join the Army himself. Their family was preparing for another move. And for one afternoon in Philadelphia, everyone was together.

That's worth remembering.

Philadelphia Military Photography

Philadelphia is home to so much military history, and photographing a military ceremony in the heart of the city feels particularly meaningful.

From Change of Command ceremonies and promotions to retirements, graduations, award ceremonies, and other military milestones, these events deserve photographs that preserve both the formality of the occasion and the people behind it.

I photograph military families throughout Philadelphia, South Jersey, and the surrounding region, including families connected to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and military communities throughout the Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware.

If you're planning a military ceremony in Philadelphia, a Change of Command at Independence Mall, or another military milestone in the Philadelphia or South Jersey area, I'm always happy to talk through what you'd like documented.

You don't need hundreds of photographs of every minute of the ceremony.

You need the right photographs. The ones that show what happened. The ones that show who was there. And years from now, the ones that bring you right back to how it felt to stand there together.

Planning Your Next Military Milestone?

Whether you're preparing for a Change of Command, promotion, retirement, graduation, or another meaningful moment in your military career, I'd love to help you preserve it intentionally.

I photograph military ceremonies and families throughout Philadelphia, South Jersey, and the surrounding East Coast, with an approach that captures both the significance of the ceremony and the people who made the journey alongside you.

Planning a military ceremony? Let's talk about what you want to remember.