111218-A-VB845-218
A U.S. Army Soldier provides security as a UH-60 Blackhawk lands outside of the Usmankhel Village,
Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, Dec. 18, 2011. (U.S. Ar...
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A U.S. Army Soldier provides security as a UH-60 Blackhawk lands outside of the Usmankhel Village,
Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, Dec. 18, 2011. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kristina Truluck-Released)
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Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, Dec. 18, 2011. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kristina Truluck-Released)
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Mar, 2014Views
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photoguy505
October 04, 2014
Wow..the soldier's heart that still beats in my chest (I've been out a LONG time) is beating a bit faster with this. Thanks for sharing
amyericephoto
April 10, 2015
As a photographer, your photo is beautiful. perfectly composed, simple but intense at the same time. Kudos. As a sister to a soldier, you made me smile. He loves being around helicopters. God Bless!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken during my deployment to Afghanistan in the Kandahar province.Time
It was taken later in the afternoon. That fun time between waiting for meetings to end and the Blackhawk to pick you up so you can crash in your tent.Lighting
There's nothing too special about this lighting - you can't get technical in combat. It was just a matter of paying attention to where the sun is and taking advantage of the lit side.Equipment
This was shot with a Canon 5D MkII and a 24-105mm lens.Inspiration
I was playing around with how people look when I have the lens pulled in to 24mm. The bird (Blaskhawk) happened to land at just the right spot right when our minehound operator was standing up. I'm a huge fan of shooting from a lower angle. Because of this low angle, the photo looks more impressive than it really is - a soldier standing up to sweep the path to the helicopter for improvised explosive devices.Editing
You can't to a lot of post-processing in photojournalism - we aim to keep the image as true to nature as possible. All I did was brighten the exposure, darken the shadows, and remove some dust spots that appeared in the sky (a good reason to always be cleaning your camera gear in the desert!)In my camera bag
Back then, it was always my two Canon 5DMkII bodies with rubber body armor - those things survived my beatings and an IED throughout my deployment. I had a 50mm mainly because it was the only lens that worked well with the night vision lens. Then there was the trusty 24-105mm zoom lens. I used that thing everywhere. Nowadays, I have my 70-200mm all but permanently attached to my body and a Canon 7D for sports imagery.Feedback
Join the military? That's probably the easiest way to get it, haha. Don't be afraid to get low - kneel or (even better) lay down. Dirt and dust washes out. If you're shooting wide, get close. In this kind of environment, learning about your subject is key to anticipating the action. Because I've worked with these guys before, I knew our minehound operator is always the first to get up and move toward the helicopter first.
