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.
Desirae Deal, a skilled photographer and the proprietor of Desirae Deal Photography in Lamar, Arkansas, assisted Aspen in becoming the fantastical creature by taking photos of her. The day was going really well, but when the girl’s dad, Michael, came at the end of the session, things got even better.
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. More than 28,000 Facebook users have liked the photo series, and it has been shared more than 157,000 times.
“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.”
“I had the honor of doing a mermaid session for this sweet girl’s 8th birthday, and all she wanted was for her Dad to join in on the fun,” she wrote in the caption. “Let me tell you he did NOT disappoint! The laughs, the joy, and the memories they created were the absolute best gift he could’ve gave her.”
She concluded the post with a beautiful reminder to all parents.
“Take the pictures. Play with them every chance you get, for they are only little for so long.”
Deal hopes this aquatic father-daughter duo will inspire more parents to enjoy the time they have with their children.
“The laughs, the joy, and the memories they created were the absolute best gift he could’ve gave her.There is no doubt in my mind that this tale, this valuable experience, will be told and enjoyed for ages to come,” she wrote alongside the sweet snaps.
“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. Children who experience love go on to share it with others, and I believe that the world could use a lot more of that.”
