Base Brass Notice Boudoir Pics
By R. STICKNEY and CHRIS CHAN
Updated 7:07 AM PST, Wed, Nov 25, 2009
The wife of a Camp Pendleton Marine taking racy photos of military wives in their husbands' uniforms caught the attention of base commanders - but not for the sexy poses.
Michele Parsley, whose husband is assigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing based at Pendleton, has a booming business taking boudoir photos. Military wives and girlfriends go to her home to have snapshots taken that they then send to their significant loved one, usually a Marine deployed overseas.
Parsley began taking the portraits a little over a year ago.
"I said no at first, and then it turned into 10 or 15 people asking me, and then I finally gave in," she said Tuesday.
With two other Marine wives, she began offering studio sessions at discounted rates out of her on-base garage.
The business became extremely popular, bringing in over 150 sessions in four months, turning the stay-at-home mom into a full-time photographer.
On Saturday, her husband's command called, asking that she take down an ad on her Web site because it used the name "Camp Pendleton" and showed women in Marine uniforms, she told the North County Times.
Officials at Camp Pendleton told NBCSanDiego that they would not discuss personal issues involving marines and their wives. To the North County Times, a base official confirmed the phone call.
"The fact that she was advertising doing the work 'Aboard Camp Pendleton' was the concern because that implies that the base commanding officer endorses her business," said Maj. Jay Delarosa, a spokesman for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Delarosa was unable to say if similarly worded ads for other Camp Pendleton home-based businesses on the nonmilitary Web site have led to requests they be removed.
Parsley, who did not want to hurt her husband's career in the military, said she made sure it was okay to take pictures of spouses or girlfriends in uniform.
"Spouses are wearing their husband's uniforms," she said. "As long as it is not the active duty service member it should not be an issue and it's something that the guys actually enjoy, seeing their wife in these cami's or their dress blues."
Parsely has made it clear that she is not a government-approved contractor. She and her partners are opening up photo studio in December, here in Oceanside especially dedicated taking those special pictures.
Read the full article in the North County Times.
First Published: Nov 25, 2009 6:35 AM PST
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