Jesseca Voorhies exuded happiness on Saturday, Oct. 3 as she walked through 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment’s headquarters.

The reason for her happiness stemmed from the work of two photographers in an adjoining room.

“The goal here is to allow family members the chance to send their deployed soldiers portraits of their families and loved ones for the holiday season,” explained Voorhies, a family support readiness assistant with 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

“This is really a great thing.”

The Photo-imaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association, or PMDA, has teamed up with the Soldiers’ Angels volunteer organization to create the PMDA Soldiers’ Angels Portraits of Love Project.  The goal of the project is to provide 10,000 soldiers serving around the world with portraits of their families and loved ones. The portraits are made free of charge.

The photographers making the images are first rate and work closely with the Olympus camera company. Jay Dickman is a Pulitzer Prize winning Olympus Visionary and National Geographic photographer. Eli Reed is an Olympus Visionary and Magnum photographer who recently took portraits of President Barack Obama.

“We couldn’t have picked and been working for a better cause,” commented Nate Ross, another Olympus Visionary, as he set up for a portrait. “It is also good to remember that we are here to thank these individuals for what their family members are doing for us.”

While completing the Portraits of Love assignment, Ross said that on one day he photographed 29 portraits, 16 dogs, two cats, two ferrets, and a hamster.

“I’m having a blast,” he added.

He wasn’t the only one having a good time.

Nearby, Michelle Poston held her young son, Xander, in preparation for a portrait.

Her husband, Pvt. Caleb Poston, serves with 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Division.

“That’s it,” said Ross.  “Look into the camera.”

The Postons sat for the portrait; both looked into the camera.

“That’s nice,” said Ross as he reviewed the digital image.

After taking the image, Ross uploaded it into www.pmdaportraitsoflove.com.

He handed Poston a card with specific instructions on how to go to the Web site, choose a photograph and fill in the pertinent information to have the image sent to her husband for the holidays.

“This is really a wonderful way to make his Christmas a bit better,” said Poston.