Toddler Steps in for Late Mother in Touching Photo Series

Ben and Ali Nunery bought their home in Cincinnati, Ohio, the day before their wedding and thought that having photos taken in the bare-bones abode would be a celebratory way to commemorate the occasions. But their time there was short-lived and bittersweet. The couple welcomed their new daughter, Olivia, but sadly, Ali lost a battle with lung cancer and died in November 2011. The suburban home is empty once again, now that Ben and Olivia recently moved out. To say goodbye to the sentimental setting, Ben asked his sister-in-law, Melanie Pace, and her husband, Adam, both professional photographers, to take pictures of him and 3-year-old Olivia in the unfurnished house, just like they did on his wedding day. Ben brainstormed ways for him and his daughter to remember the house and thought that recreating the wedding day shoot would be symbolic. "I always thought that there had to be some way to turn my loss into something positive and useful for other people and I think that this is what's happening now," Ben tells Yahoo Shine. "I don't want people to see these photos and think sadness and grief. I want them to see the love I have for Ali and Olivia. The love is always there and that's what goes on."  — Lauren Tuck, Shine Staff