I was fascinated by the project of the soldiers that were in Iraq and how they were changed from the experience. The individual testimonies that had the greatest impact on me were the stories of the man and the exploding tires, the man who gets scared every time he hears garbage trucks, the man who hates stairwells and hallways now, and the man who was stuck under debris in enemy territory for several hours.
I appreciated the fact that the photographer was very respectful in making sure that her subjects were comfortable with the idea. It was nice to hear she never forced anything on them, but completely respected their feelings and wishes about the subject matter. It was interesting to hear all the planning and work that went into the setups, in particular how the garbage truck had to be there before the soldier arrived, and leave after him. I was also amazed at how much work went into thinking about the lighting and even the different people she would have to contact to gain cooperation with, such as the mayor in order to block off streets.
I think the project was very successful in bringing a greater awareness to Americans about what kinds of things really go on overseas, and how much we have to be thankful for, like the people who fight to protect us. Rarely do we stop and think also about the fact that once the soldiers come home, they are forever affected by their experiences.
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