By DAN RICHMAN

drichman@whidbeynewsgroup.com

Babies, kids and families are the focus of Heather and Anthony Kline’s five-year-old photography business, they said during a recent visit to their Oak Harbor home studio.

Kline Photography’s latest speciality is taking free photographs of families reuniting after one parent or the other returns to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station after a deployment.

“I usually do eight or nine of those a year,” said Heather, 32. “They’ve fought for our country, and they deserve to have those memories captured.”

In addition to photographing births, newborns, children and families, the couple shoot weddings and horse-related events.

Heather started her photography career capturing images of Whidbey Western Games Assn. meets at the Langley fairgrounds. That group supervises racing horses around obstacles.

Initially she competed in the events, but her first pregnancy, in 2007, forced her to the sidelines. Then she began photographing couples, who eventually asked her to photograph their new arrivals.

“When I started capturing the images of babies, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” she said. “I wanted to learn more. I was eager.”

She attended a Seattle workshop by noted child-photographer Rachel Vanoven, which further piqued her interest.

Now she has her own style of infant photography, featuring an organic look that uses accessories of wool and dried flowers.

Newborns are “where I find the most joy and passion,” she said.

Infant photo shoots take place in the couple’s home studio, in their flower garden or at NAS Whidbey’s heavily planted Cliffside RV park.

Many of their clients are Navy personnel.

Anthony, 31, served with the Navy until his recent medical discharge.

Last year the business earned about $7,000. Anthony just finished truck-driving school and said he hopes to start supplementing the photography income with his salary. He works back-up camera at weddings and helps build props for the studio.

The couple has four children, ages two through seven.

Infants aren’t disturbed by the intense noise of Navy planes flying directly over the home studio, Heather said.

“They sleep right through it. Their parents sometimes get a little bit rattled, though.”

The couple is currently refurbishing their house, in which Heather grew up. They are adding a path directly to the studio’s separate entrance, so visitors won’t have to walk through the rest of the house.

Their dream is to move the entire studio to a separate building now serving as a garage.

“Everything is falling into place for us,” Heather said.

n For information go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kline-Photography-Oak-Harbor-WA-Newborn-Family-Photographer/136750729703221?fref=ts