Photographer and film maker Lalage Snow published a series of photos that she shot while working on location in the area of Kabul, Afghanistan. The 8-month-long project entitled We Are The Not Dead features portraits of British soldiers based in Helmand province. To produce the series, Snow shot three separate photo panels – a triptych –representing a moment in time before, during, and after their deployment. Her work captures more than the mere facial expressions of the men, but also their apparent physical changes, which she documented to have occurred over a time period of less than a year. Snow’s composition effectively captures their transformation and offers a dramatic representation of how stress is embodied as a result of living and fighting in a war zone. In many of the photos it is the soldiers’ eyes that haunt us, as they betray something of a sense of their physical and emotional state, which appears deteriorated not unlike the soiled uniforms that hang on their bodies.
Follow the link to view more photos in the series: http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/lalage-snow-we-are-the-not-dead
According to author Elaine Scarry (1985) war is “the most radically embodying event in which human beings ever collectively participate.” (Scarry, p. 71). This particular series employs what is essentially a form of graphic art to demonstrate how war is potentially embodied.
Discussion
Please take a moment to look at the entire series of photos and offer your thoughts about what you see in the photos. Do you see evidence of an embodied physical change? If so, describe what you see.
James Mingus says
After reading the comments and carefully comparing the faces, I come to a different thought. I’ve been to war as an Infantry Company Commander with the US Marines F 2/8 on a couple tours in Iraq with last one just outside of Fallujah.
In the first pictures across the board all appear to be without experience going into a war for the first time. In the second I see men who are focused, confident, and have adapted to life in a combat zone. Seen this look many times over. Everyone is tired, no body is eating/ sleeping right-just how it is. The last picture most seem to have returned “to themselves “ to a degree though we all know the images of sight/ sound/ smell will stay with them for the rest of their lives. After 15 years of being retired, I can see it all play over in my head as real as it just happened 15 minutes ago. The hardest part is learning how to control those seared in memories. Took me years on years to be able to get back to who I thought I was pre war. Don’t get me wrong, it will never leave you, and a sound/ smell or seeing something can trigger that emotionally linked memory-and it’s not only at night this happens. Too many lost that fight between the present and the past. I think this is a naturally occurring fact that soldiers have displayed and experienced going back to Roman times. Nothing new-just new ways to mangle another human. Once you are back from the fight, the brain will always try and make logical sequential actions trying to fill in the blank spaces and for it to make sense. I think that the PTS (no “D” cause it’s not a disorder), is when a brain fails to put the pieces together so one replays it on loop trying to understand the anomalies of what they saw. Some things you just can’t imagine a person would ever see-or have to do. The key in my case was finally understanding and accepting that what I personally did and the decisions I made HAD to have happened in that exact sequence to become who I am today-better on the other end. Any little change of those sequences and how I mentally coped with it all would have me different than I am today. That was my out. That is why I’m still breathing today. It all had to occur just as it did.
Thank you for reading this.
Sandra Trappen says
Thank you for your comments and service (I’m a vet and former officer too).
ZV says
It is interesting to see these photo panels-a triptych-representing a moment in time before, during, and after soldiers deployment. If people believe in the stereotype that the boy needs to be “broken” to become a man; that is what I see in these pictures. Boys, who over eight months are becoming men. However, their eyes look empty. Possibly the military training and the war made them tough, but certainly made them confused and scarred for life.
Jasmine Porter says
It’s unsettling to see before, during and after photos of a soldier who has been through war. In the first photograph, the guy seemed shy, sweet, as if it was his first day in school. Kind of makes me go “aww”! He seems very approachable and friendly. In the second photo, it makes me says “sheesh! Who made you angry?” Is as if the first person who gets on his bad side is getting it. He has wrinkles on his face as if he hasn’t had any sleep. His eyebrows are low and focused as if he’s looking into someone’s soul. His nose is wider than the first photo. The last photo breaks my heart. His soul seems lost, no sense of emotion, zoned out as if he’s not from Earth. If soldiers go through these traumatic experiences, is it worth it? Is the U.S okay with these experiences and differences. If so, I can’t accept or support it!
Tiana Solis says
I was able to look at the other pictures in the project. The images show a tremendous difference in what the soldier looked like before, during and after their time at war. There were a couple of images that stood out to me specifically. Private Chris MacGregor, 24 is one of the first pictures on the website. In the first picture, he looks so innocent. Then in the next picture, he looks like he has experienced so much stuff from the time of the first picture. In his last picture, his face structure in my opinion looks different. The definition of his face has changed because of his experiences. The picture looks as though he has lost all parts of him that could have been innocent. Private Ben Frater, 21 also has that very young innocent look. By the time of his last picture, he looks as though he has been neaten up a lot and his probably tired of what he has been going through. I honestly see fear in some of their faces even if they were trying not to. I can see it in their eyes. War takes a big toll on people. I like the fact that the photographer chose to take pictures of mostly soldiers in their late teens, early twenties. These soldiers resemble people in my age group. These pictures affected me more because it is hard to see people my age going though hardships such as war. In the end, all of these pictures show that war changes something about everybody, even the way you look in the face.
Celena Batista says
These images display the physical toll solders endure when they enroll and experience war. Looking at these images makes it hard for anyone to deny the fact that war impacts the soldier on multiple levels that are not only physical in physique but mental as well. In the picture provided above you can see the soldier evolve from a “pure” human being with no idea of the challenges that face him, to one going through the actual challenges of war and then finally after facing the challenges of war. One can notice the hardening of the face and attentiveness during war and the tired, eye sunken look after facing war. There is no denying that war has a larger impact to an individual than meets the eye.
Rachael Exi says
Its always interesting to me that even without words, a picture can paint a story.
For me, the three photos are very telling. I believe the eyes are the window to the soul so looking at the first photo, you can see the young mans eyes are almost full of hope or at the very least, filled with questions about life.
The second picture seems patriotic, strong, hard, determined and ready for whatever is to come. There is a certainty in his eyes that wasn’t there in the previous picture. The third photo looks like hes been defeated and left to pick up pieces on his own. As if the journey hes been on wasn’t what he expected.
These pictures were a nice expression of some of the things that can happen after one has served in the military.There are many scenarios that could have played out to cause the changes but no one can deny that there is one there.
Luz Alvarez says
Just imagine this..you change so much in a short period of time in a physical way. These photos show us that. You join the Military not knowing that your life is about to take a turn. I look at these soldiers and I know that mentally they are not same person as when they were first deployed. Mentally is a whole new ballgame. I often tell myself how brave these men and women are to go out there and fight in a war and I do thank them but I couldn’t see myself going out there. There are other little wars I can choose from to fight and help society without having to join the army. There are benefits to joining the army for example a career, education and a salary. There are also negative aspects of it as well but I believe that because you mentally not the same person as when they first went in, the real war begins when they are back home and readjusting to normal and not a militarize society.
Armando Tresova says
There is obviously not much science behind this project since it is art. If this post were on a different blog and we were told these were the faces of factory workers before and after a year of work for example, we would probably have similar things to say. What people see when they observe another person’s facial expressions, or rather inexpression’s, can be subjective sometimes. By looking at the images I feel sad about these soldiers. I feel like they have seen some terrible things and gone through some tough situations. But then again, so do factory workers in certain places, although not nearly on the same level as soldiers. The point that I am trying to make is that sometimes life can be very cruel to some people and it can wear them down just like being a soldier in war. That is why seeing these pictures, such as in a gallery or museum, without knowing the background about the project can be misleading. Especially since you cannot really see their uniform which may be on purpose.
When I look at the images longer, all sorts of things go through my head. Such as: Would I feel the same if they were actors, factory workers or something other than soldiers? Did these soldiers really see some terrible things? Have they really gone through tough situations? What are they thinking? Do they have PTSD?
It’s a really good and creative art project. It gets the audience asking questions and thinking differently about soldiers and the effects the war has on them.
Jillian Thompson says
This photo series is an incredibly moving one and a very tangible representation of the effects of war in such a concise and powerful medium. It seems almost taboo to talk about the effects of war on the soldiers themselves, rather we thank them for their service and leave them in the hands of an arguably incompetent VA where many soldiers bury their experience and stories. The actual feelings and experiences of the soldiers aren’t as openly discusses in my experience however this is the crux of understanding and talking about war. In the photos the most striking change can be seen in the eyes but also how the soldiers have lost any and all aura of youth. The eyes say it all as almost all of the soldiers are more hooded and weary looking while the color of the eyes themselves are darker and seemingly less full of life. The faces as a whole are sunken and tired looking emaciated and morbid. Everything about those pictured are tired and worn out. Their faces tell stories with no words. What these pictures are representative though is a need for a more in depth national, inclusive, and beneficial discussion about the effects of war and PTSD because it can be seen on the faces of those who have served and without the proper help and a space to talk about their experiences soldiers’ faces will continue to lack life after finishing their tours.
Ling Jiang says
When you look at the photos of this soldier right next to each other, there’s so many small changes that makes you wonder just what happened. The middle picture is of the soldier in battle, and it is between the middle and last picture of every single soldier where I notice the biggest differences. The middle picture shows the soldiers looking extremely sharp and serious, their eyes are keen and focused. In a lot of the last pictures, the soldier looks scared and worried, their eyes are widened as if they’re paranoid and are scared all the time. The third picture is the most haunting to me, as if he stays awake at night because he’s too scared to sleep. On top of that, it makes me wonder if this is why people continue to go back for more deployments – because they’re so programmed to be on the battlefield and don’t feel as though they belong amongst civilians.
Deena Rothman says
This triptych, photographed by Lalage Snow, features portraits representing a moment in time before, during, and after this specific soldiers deployment as part of her project We Are Not Dead. These photos do not only reflect facial expressions throughout the year, more importantly they capture the physical changes in the soldier over that time period. These physical changes clearly depict the stress that is a result of ‘living and fighting in a war zone.’
When looking at these pictures, I most definitely see evidence of an embodied physical change. This physical change can be identified by looking at the soldiers eyes in each of the three photos, as well as the man’s physical maturity as the photos evolve. In the photo to the left, there is a sense of innocence, youth, and unknowingness in the man’s eyes. However, when you see the man photographed during his deployment, not only does he portray a stronger man than he once was physically, but his eyes seem to have an angry and rugged expression. It makes you think about the transition of going from normal life and society to a world of major responsibility and a rigid schedule. Additionally, the wrinkle in his forehead adds to this seemingly stressful time of service. When I look to the third photo to the right, after the soldiers deployment, it is evident through the young mans eyes that he feels a sense of relief mixed with exhaustion; a look of much less intensity than that in the middle shot.
This triptych brilliantly represents the emotional and physical effects that war has on one’s character – in as little as one years time.
Amy Cartagena says
Similar to my other classmates posts, much of what you take away from this picture comes from the young mans eyes. In the first picture he looks somewhat ordinary. He looks as though he is a new transfer student at a new school. This could be connected to a look of innocence. He is a young man who has never been to war so he doesn’t know what is in store for him or the challenges that come from going to war. In the second picture his eyes portray more determination and in some ways strength than the last one. The second picture is the immediate picture that I was drawn to because it stands out from the other too. In the second picture his facial feature as a whole portrays more emotion than the other pictures. The last picture is similar to the first picture but unlike the first picture, which lacks emotion, in the last picture he looks like he is traumatized.
Amy Cartagena says
*traumatized (not happy) typo
Priscilla Fok says
One common recurrent physical change I see for most of the soldiers is maturity, yet weariness. Almost seem as if it is a home run for the soldiers to return home, but the flashbacks, discipline, duty, drills may still haunt them. The first picture of the phase is a mug shot, similar to when we take passport photos- expressionless, but serves as a purpose, an identification. The second picture of the phase, there is some color/ tan, which I assume is from the long training on the field. In some instances, some faces show determinism and bravery, and some show shock or slight confusion of what is going to happen. One can compare it to Russian roulette, where it is a one shot deal, you re either dead or alive, but you do not know when that is. Some soldiers show more circles around their eyes than others, which may depict sleepless nights that soldiers may encounter, whether missing their family or just being worry for what happen. The last phase, shows the aging of the soldier and “I survive” or “I’m stronger than before” reaction.
Derrick Chew says
When I first saw this article and the websites/galleries, I thought that it was a great way to show just how much soldiers change physically and how much more psychological trauma must have happened in order to cause these changes. When you see the pictures next to each other, it would seem obvious that there are a lot of underlying problems deep inside each returning soldier.
Their extremely widened eyes seem to show that the training and the battles they fought caused them to become hyper-aware of everything around them, possibly to the point of paranoia, even after they return home. Their faces also become seemingly more stoic, again possibly due to both their training and from the battles they were in. As the author/creator of this gallery pointed out, it is the unusually dilated eyes that really captures their hidden pains that lie beneath their faces. As the author says, however, not many people are able to have before-during-after pictures to compare, and often see the veterans in just one of these three at a time.
I noticed that if a person were to look at only the last pictures of these soldiers (without the first two to juxtapose it), they would seem rather “normal-looking” or in the case of a few of them (especially the first soldier in the gallery), seem like something else is wrong with them (that is not as bad as PTSD mixed with a lot of other problems). Unfortunately, this view is how many people see veterans; not a lot of people know how they look like or how they are before the war to see that something in them has been broken and scarred. In short, it makes it easy for people to not notice how much inner turmoil that goes on inside the soldiers, and it makes it harder to see that they need professional help. Coupled with their stoic looks, it is easy to claim that “they are okay” when they are not. This can possibly partly explain why there may not be enough help reaching veterans quickly enough to assist them before it is too late.
Also, people at home would most likely see the soldiers as the first and last pictures but not the second, which is the one of them during deployment, full of baggy eyes, tanned and unshaven faces, and dirt and sweat. The only people who do are their fellow soldiers, who are also going through the same experiences and traumas. From this, it is possible that soldiers may think that physical changes like this is normal (if they notice it at all), and that nobody but other soldiers can understand hat they have been through, which may contribute to a reluctance or unwillingness to open up to others about their experiences and feelings. Because it seems “normal” for all soldiers to go through these changes, they may even have a hard time recognizing that there are deeper problems within them ( for example, they may notice that they are more easily frustrated, but is that all?), and they may not seek help early on. It also makes me question if they were trained to ignore or dismiss these problems even before they are deployed.
Overall, I think that this article and the gallery can really show people just how much veterans coming back from war change in appearance, and how much trauma they went through to cause such changes in appearance. It also shows how important it is to notice these changes and that they face a lot more problems internally than it appears. We only see every veteran as they look in the third sets of pictures without knowing how they looked before the war, and often tell ourselves that “they seem to be okay. He made it out in one piece, so I don’t see the PTSD in him.” Only when we see that there is a huge transformation will we really recognize that they lost something inside.
Huiying Liang says
Lalage Snow captured a very meaningful picture presenting a young man’s stage of deployment. All three photos can be compared by the look of his eyes, it demonstrates the changes that can happen within a time period less than a year. The first photo shows innocence of a young man, completely different from the second picture. His eyes in the second picture give a sense of how fierce he is, some sort of madness in him. Compared to the first picture, he also lost the shape of his face which is probably due to a lack of a healthy diet. The look of him in the third picture betrays the second picture, giving me a sense that the second picture was to act tough. The third picture is very similar to the first one, but he looks tired both physically and mentally. Clearly within less than a year, deployment can change someone dramatically.
Lynnette Alvarez says
I agree with Huiying Liang when referring to the second picture as having some type of madness in his eyes compared to the first picture. I also agree that these three pictures demonstrate a drastic amount of change in a matter of less than a year. I would like to add that it not only physically destroys a person image but by the look of his eyes in the pictures it is internally and mentally destroying his character. The second picture in my opinion is definitely the most shocking and harmful, his face is filled with wrinkles, his eyes are fill with pain and anger. Stress definitely has taken over his physical image and is seen with wrinkles and scars. When specifically looking at his eyes throughout the pictures you can definitely see the levels of stress, in the first picture he looks scared, and there is a sense of unknowingness. In the second picture he looks dangerous, confident in a sense and filled with anger and finally the third picture is sort of similar to the first except the amount of wrinkles have increased due to stress. It is important to connect the time of deployment that taken place during these pictures. The first picture was before deployment, second during and third after, which completely connects with the expression and levels of stress that is represented with his face and eyes. These pictures were a brilliant way to express the affects war and deployment play a role emotionally, physically and how it destroys your previous character.
Kashay Bailey says
The faces shown represent three stages in the life of this young man. The first of which reflects innocence and youth. Perhaps the first picture shows the young man before enlisting. This is a period of time where many may become frightful of what to expect once they have enrolled in service. Many may also take this time to reflect on their needs and reassure themselves that the decision being made is the right one. The expression on the young mans face is one of a blank stare almost a trance. There is a noticeable distinction between the first picture and the second and third pictures displayed. The second picture shows the young man in a very pensive state. This is most likely his period of enlistment where he is dealing with conflicting thoughts. The ruggedness shown on his face leads us to believe that life experience has aged him. There is a wrinkle in his forehead which is likely attributed to stress and wear down from his time of service. Possibly being exposed to immediate deaths all around him may cause a sort of trauma. His facial expression gives off a characteristic of toughness with a very rough exterior. I can only imagine the type of transition that takes place from being a part of normal functioning society and now being placed in this alternative world , if you will. The army may seem like a distant world to many, one which does not fully exist until you yourself are submerged in the culture or reality. The third picture leads me to believe young man has served his time and is now dealing with the struggles of reintegration into society. His facial expression seems to be one of relief. It is perhaps most appropriate to compare the last picture and the first picture in order to understand the extreme changes that takes place. The last picture shows extreme age compared to the first picture where the soldiers skin appears smoother and brighter. The face of the soldier in the last picture are much more open than the second picture where the soldiers eyes seem very concentrated.
Ragavan Sivanesathurai says
Kashay Bailey, I agree with your statement. I felt the same way when looking at these three pictures and the depictions you’ve described. In the first picture the man looks very young and naive, hinting the first picture shows the young man before enlisting. The second picture shows the man in a very pensive state as stated, but also in a position of confusion. A confusion mixed with current stress, you can tell by the forming wrinkles and facial expression. He seems to becoming adjusted to his current life and situation he faces. And the last picture you can see the huge difference in facial expression. As he seems to be completely adjusted to his lifestyle, and also a sense of maturity in his face. It seems as if he accepts his current state and in the procress has matured. You can tell he faces stress as well through the wrinkles and bags under his eyes indicates he has been sleepless at nights. It shows that he has matured, but also has been through a lot throughout the timeframe of those pictures.
Brian Manrique says
From looking at the pictures above and taking a look at the photographs on the website, physical and even emotional changes can be seen, even from the quickest of glances. One may get a sense of the clear changes of the before, during, and shortly after the war. All the men in their first photograph have a certain glow to their skin. The first photographs evokes a feeling of concern in all of their faces. In contrast to the first photograph, the second picture tells a whole different story. The faces of the soldiers look worn, pensive, and hardened by the war. Faces look much longer and thinner. I assume many sleepless nights for these young men. Their young faces look beat up from so much physical and mental strain that they endured every day. I even want to say that the second photograph of the soldiers make them look like they have aged significantly from their stint of deployment. The third photograph and the first photograph are similar, but one can see the difference in their eyes. A look of experience, hardship, pain and stress they give to the camera. I feel like their faces show scars, not physical scars, but emotional ones they’ll have to deal with in the aftermath of deployment.
Jennifer Kanarek says
In my opinion, not only do the photos exemplify a significant physical change in the soldiers, it shows a change of the soldiers’ mental state as well. The first photo looks like a young man who is a bit naïve and innocent. His face is a bit expressionless. The second photo of the same man during war shows a hardened, stern, face. He is also a bit thinner, and the look in his eyes seems very determined. The photo after war looks as if he is worn out, and he has a lost look in his eyes. I have brought up my co-worker in a previous comment, and I can not help but compare him to the photos. I have seen photos of him before and after war as well, and even in photos he seems somber and almost afraid of what is going through his mind. The third photo above depicts the same image. Even if you had no idea that he went to war, you can see in his face that he has seen horrors.
Olivia Loscalzo says
There is definitely significant changes in the faces of these soldiers throughout the pictures. When you look at the faces, the first photo always looks very innocent, and very young. The second photo during war looks very masculine and a very serious face. The physical changes are common between the men, they look much more fit, much thinner, with much more chiseled faces. The eyes look very serious. In the third photo, the men look very defeated and very aged. They look relieved to be out of war, but also very hardened, like they can never unsee what they saw or undo the things that they did while they were in the military. The physical change is the most drastic change though. The faces before and after are very similar in physique, but very different in their eyes. The after photos show men with sullen faces, with sunken eyes, a physical change brought about by the emotional and mental stress of the army and war. The picture of during war is very different in physical appearance though. The faces seem thinner, more rugged and masculine with facial hair. The physical appearance makes them look tougher and manlier by social standards. It is quite disturbing to see the way their faces can change in such a short amount of time.
Chandelle Lashley says
I would have to agree with Olivia and Brian’s descriptions of the pictures. I also felt that the soldier’s looked similar at the beginning of their time in the war zone and afterwards. However, there was a striking set of differences. You could see almost a loss of innocence in their eyes by the last picture. They look tired, drawn, and empty. Their faces and skin appear visibly aged. During their time in the war zone they appear very serious, determined, and focused. Some already looked hurt during this time and this could be brought on by the many things they had to witness and be a part of while fighting. Going back to the first pictures in the series, I see uncertainty in a lot of the soldiers’ eyes. This gives me the feeling that they really don’t know what they are fighting for but are along for the ride. In the second picture it seems almost like they have decided to “put on a brave face” and stick it out. Some of the soldiers tried to look as tough as they could and narrowed their eyes to show determination. What we are observing can be described as a kind of manufacturing process. Each individual is built to fight and will eventually share the same personal demise. It is evident in their appearances that these people are essentially drained of their strength and youth. All of those broken and hardened facial expressions mask individuals who can never really enjoy life as they once did. This experience clearly changed them forever and was something that the rest of us could never truly understand.
Kevin Huang says
I had the chance to read some of the previous comments and I would agree with this one as well as the one preceding it. The pictures really made me say Wow (I’ve done some of my own research so this feeling is not completely foreign to me). But they still speak to what war does to a man. The differences between the first and last pictures really got my attention; it was the look in their eyes. They go from looking young, innocent and gung ho to looking empty, lost, and ones that saw a lot.