Stories Behind the Lens | Laura Schroeder Photography

A LITTLE STORYTELLING

Saying YES Once Again

Aug 17, 2025

Sometimes, life asks us to step into something we’ve only done a few times before—something that feels unfamiliar yet somehow meant to be. Weddings aren’t something I seek out, but every once in a while, one finds me.Weddings come with an added layer of pressure: the responsibility of delivering something that perfectly reflects what the couple envisions. Sometimes that vision is crystal clear, and other times it’s more elusive, but they always know it when they see it. ...

Open Water Dives

Jul 13, 2025

Open Water DivesThis. This is the reason why we are all here. To build comfort with your gear, with breathing through an (itty bitty) tube of compressed air, to battle the voice inside our head, and (hopefully) come to love the new world you only know exists because you have seen pictures or have been lucky enough to snorkel. To experience the beauty and awe of this new world may take a moment to get there, but it is very well worth the effort. Getting to that moment of awe takes time. It takes ...

Where Grit Meets Guts and Glory

Jul 06, 2025

It's time for the Spartan Kids Race!Kids Camp has become a pretty well-oiled machine over the years—but that doesn’t mean we stop looking for ways to make it even better. A couple of years ago, Courtney had the brilliant idea to bring the Spartan Kids Race into the mix and add it to the week of Dagger Dive. They showed up, set up an epic obstacle course, and the kids (plus one very determined adult!) tackled it with everything they had. It was a total hit!Last year, unfortunately, ...

Wellness Day

Jun 29, 2025

Wellness Day While diving is at the heart of Dagger Dive, “wellness” is one of the foundations and building blocks to healing in all ways; mind, body, and spirit. Wellness is woven throughout the week through physical therapy sessions, mentoring, and counseling that is available to anyone interested.Due to diving regulations, participants must take a break midweek to allow their bodies time to safely regulate the gases from compressed air. Wellness Day, held on Day 4, was ...

Community Ties that Run Deep

Jun 24, 2025

The community of Key West has been incredible since Day 1 ~ so many years ago now! Yes, there’s a strong military presence with both the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard here, but the support goes far beyond that. From the very beginning, the people of Key West have welcomed our team of volunteers and the families we serve with open arms.Over the years, deep relationships have formed and continue to grow. Like so many military communities, Key West has become an extension of ...

Getting in the Water

Jun 15, 2025

Getting in the WaterEver since the inaugural Dagger Dive in 2011, the Special Forces Underwater Operations School (SFUWO) has generously allowed Task Force Dagger (TFD) to use its facilities for poolside dive training. The key is to fit our time in between the school’s regularly scheduled training exercises.For many of the participants—especially those who trained here during their military careers—coming back with their spouse and children can feel a little surreal. What was ...

Kids Camp

Jun 08, 2025

The Best Kids Camp EVER! If you ask me what the #1 must-have is for another amazing week of Dagger Dive, my answer comes quickly and with zero hesitation. It is our incredible Kids Camp team!Yes, the diving is core to the week and the reason why we are all here. Yes, the connections and the healing moments under the water are what bring families back year after year. But let’s be honest—none of that can happen if the parents in the water are constantly worried about where ...

Our Connection to Dagger Dive!

Jun 01, 2025

So Excited for Dagger Dive 2025!This may end up being a long blog post… or maybe I’ll be kind and share this story across several entries. :-) It’s just such a meaningful one to tell.You might know that I’m a military wife—specifically, a wife to a Green Beret, a Special Forces operator. We, like many others, weathered countless deployments—beginning with the initial invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11. Deployments weren’t new, but the stress of war ...

Fresh Look, Deeper Stories! Welcome to my Blog!

May 26, 2025

Welcome to the New and Improved Laura Schroeder Photography Website!Many of you who know me, know I almost always have a camera slung over my shoulder. Storytelling through the lens has been part of my life since I was a kid. Years ago, when our son was about two, I had a business plan written and ready to go—but life, as it often does, had other plans.The life of a mother, a military wife, and a professional in landscape architecture kept my plate full. Though the timing wasn’t ...

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