joewankelman
FollowJuly 4th 2014 Qalat Afghanistan. This picture is so much more then just what you see. This picture was taken as a difficult observation to the division in pol...
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July 4th 2014 Qalat Afghanistan. This picture is so much more then just what you see. This picture was taken as a difficult observation to the division in political, ethical and morale issues that plague our country. Yet each one of those issues is resting directly on the backs of our service men and women. They are enduring conditions often times worse then the prisoners in our hardest prisons because they believe in our country and our way of life. They leave the the national division at home and fight for our country. This picture represents the selflessness that the endure for us. This picture was taken in a remote part of Aghanistan during the peak of the fighting season when it demanded the most from the men. may every day be a happy Independence Day for us and may the selflessness of our men and women serving always be recognized.
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elfphotos
August 04, 2016
This is an AMAZING photo. It reminds all opf us about the people who fight for us!
joostlagerweij
August 04, 2016
Beautiful photo with impact of brothers in arms! Very well done! Greetings of a Afghanistan veteran????
DesertEagle63
August 04, 2016
Dude this is smoking, Amazing capture! Being a Vet myself this was touching, unfortunately vets who have fought and died for our great country are rather easily forgotten from those whom we have fought for. God Bless our American soldiers, airmen and marines and naval personnel God Bless Us All!
joewankelman
August 05, 2016
Thank you for your sacrifice first and foremost!! And secondly thank you for the kind words and touching compliments.
shellyg
November 02, 2016
What an amazing image! No narration needed, our servicemen and women embody the definition of true selfless acts of sacrifice making them real life super hero's!
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Behind The Lens
Location
This picture was taken in a remote forward operating base called Apache in AfghanistanTime
It was taken on July 4, 2014 at about 11 AMLighting
The lighting was horrific!! It was extremely sharp and ridiculously hard to work with, but was the only time during our mission window that I was able to take this picture.Equipment
Since I was flying combat missions I didn't bring my nice Canon 5D Mark II camera, so for this picture I used A Canon EOS rebel three.Inspiration
This picture was taken to represent the conflict created through a diverse range of passionate disagreements in our country, but the unity and selflessness required each by the Service Members to lay their beliefs to the side and risk everything to protect the freedoms That make this country great. Their unity allows us to so passionately disagree.Editing
All processing was completed through Adobe Photoshop.In my camera bag
I typically carry around a Canon 5D Mark II, with a 24-70 EF canon lens that I love!! I also have a monfrotto tripod for my low light/night shots. My camera bag is pretty simple, because I don't want to get caught up trying to find the perfect technology for a picture, yet miss the moment because my heads in a bag.Feedback
Each picture I take is a story with a key element of survival intertwined with it. They are my manuscript which others can learn from by applying the unique lessons inter winded in them. I use a lessons like a philosopher use a pen; to improve our understanding of the reality around us. When I am looking for a future canvas, I try to look deeper than just the situation around me and find the nugget of a specific emotional principle that captures a universal storyline that everyone can relate to. A question that I always challenge myself with is: "what survival skill can i learn from the story I just tried to tell through my lens. For the picture "Divided We Stand" I wanted to capture the selflessness required to protect our freedoms and way of life, while the country we so love is ripping each other apart due to different beliefs and understandings we hold as truths. This picture's story line revolves around the word "selfless."