When Aspen turned 8, all she wanted for her birthday was to be a mermaid — or to get as close to being a mermaid as possible with the help of photographer Desirae Deal. The photographer, who owns Desirae Deal Photography and is based in the Lamar, Arkansas, area, was excited to transform Aspen into the magical mer-girl of her dreams. And when Aspen's dad, Michael, came at the end of the session, Deal had a great idea — what if dad joined the fun?
Aspen turned 8 on June 13.
Speaking with CafeMom, Deal explains that as part of Aspen's birthday celebration [her father asked that their last name be withheld], her grandmother bought her a mermaid session.
When Michael arrived, Aspen asked her dad if he would play in the water with her.
But Deal had a better idea.
"I said 'Well you know I think I have a mermaid tail that he could wear,'" she tells us. "It just went from there. Once she knew it was a possibility, there was no changing her mind."
Michael didn't hesitate "in the slightest," Deal says.
Deal and her team were more than happy to make it happen, and it was well worth it.
"It was the most fun session I have ever done," she says.
The photographer shared the sweet photos on her Facebook page.
Once there, they rapidly took off. The photo series has been shared more than 157,000 times and more than 28,000 people have liked them on Facebook.
"The reactions have been overwhelmingly positive," Deal says. "I think playing with our children is something everyone around the world can relate to on some level, whether it be thinking of our own children or bringing back memories from childhood ourselves."
Deal says that when she takes photos she always strives to create a moment that will last a lifetime.
"They will never forget that birthday. The images they received from me will quite literally be passed down from generation to generation," she continues. "I can see them being used on graduation and wedding days and many more."
She hopes people will look at how willing Micheal was to go the extra mile for his daughter and take a second to "play with their children."
More so, she hopes that people will remember to document the moments they spend with their kids "so they can always look back on it and remember."
"Childhood is so fleeting. It's gone so fast," she explains. "That might sound simple, but I think it is the little things that we show them (through love) day in and day out that have the biggest impact on their core values. If a child knows love, they in turn give love, and I think the world could use a lot more of that."
