Ben
Nunery lost Ali, his wife and the mother of his daughter, Olivia, to a rare
form of lung cancer in 2011. Two years later, Nunery was ready to move forward
and leave the Cincinnati home he and Ali shared, but not before honoring the
loving memories the house helped to create.
Bought
the day before the couple married, the empty house served as the setting for
Nunery and Ali's wedding photos. It's these pictures that Nunery and 3-year-old
Olivia chose to recreate in memory of Ali and the good times the family shared.
Nunery
asked his sister-in-law, professional photographer Melanie Tracy Pace, to help
with the project. With the home empty again for the move, Nunery and Olivia
were free to naturally recreate the tender moments captured with Ali years
before.
"It
immediately brought up memories of being there the first time," Nunery
shared with Today.com. "They were really good memories I cherish and want
to remember. In a lot of ways, it felt like Ali was there, and doing that with
Olivia I felt a closeness with both of them."
Pace
felt Ali there too, guiding her through the emotional photo shoot. After the
session, Pace posted the photos to her photography blog Loft3. The pictures
quickly attracted attention from family, friends and strangers, all of whom
were moved by the story the photos told.
"I
hope that people can see it as evidence of a love that Ali and I shared that is
still very deep, (and) that love carries on, and it doesn't die," Nunery
told Today.com.
"People
who don't know us personally but may have experience with losing a loved one
can see that as an example of healing and life moving on."
