Michael Stokes, a gifted California fine arts photographer, has launched a new series called Veteran Portrait Photography. In it, he features amputees and prosthetic-wearing veterans posing confidently in revealing poses.
Alex Minsky, a US Marine, was the driving force behind this incredible collaborative endeavour. In 2009, he lost a leg to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and doctors there had to amputate it. Many additional service members joined in with Minsky’s brilliant suggestion to focus the picture session on self-assurance rather than the familiar veteran stories. Stokes eventually wrote a book about the experience titled “Always Loyal.”
Stokes said to MTV, “Some people will say to me, ‘Oh, this is great to their self-esteem,’ or, “you’re making them feel like guys again.” In which stokes reacted. These men have arrived at my door quite whole and prepared to take on the world. I refuse to restore their faith in me. That’s not necessary, as they already possess it.
More info: michaelstokes.net | Facebook | Kickstarter
I’m not restoring their trust in me. What they need, they have.
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
#14
