http://ninaberman.com/index3.php?pag=prt&dir=marine

I received this link from Prof. Targontsidis thinking it was going to be these amazing black and white images possibly about abandoned houses or something similar to my final project. When I saw the first image that came up, I was definitely taken aback and it took me a second to realize what exactly was going on in the picture. My immediate emotions were a mix of horror, confusion and disbelief. The first image that appears in this set of photos is of a disfigured marine in his dress blues with a woman in a wedding dress that one would assume is his wife. As you proceed to view the rest of the pictures, small pieces come together that give you clues to who this person is as well as what their daily life is like.
The man in the pictures has a disfigured face, is missing an arm and also clearly has other wounds. Each picture is increasingly difficult to look at because his injuries are so severe that one cannot help but be overwhelmed with empathy. Each picture has such an unbelievable tone of sadness and loss that is captured. There is not one picture where anybody is smiling and the pictures make it appear that the photographer is never even there - there is great distance and little interaction between the photographer and the subject. The photographer was incredibly successful at showing the pictures as snippets of everyday life with little twists of irony thoughout. The subject in seemingly ordinary scenarios (a bar, outside, pouring milk into cereal) suddenly brings a whole new meaning to each of them. Each image successfully portrays the struggle this man appears to face, with simple tasks that we all take for granted as well as the fact that he simply is continuing on with his life, despite something horrible that clearly occurred.
The pictures that get me the most are those with the woman who seems to be his fiancee/wife. In all the pictures with her, you can see the unbelievable sadness on her face that she feels for him and at the same time, the love she still has. You also see the strength and courage in her, as we can assume that the love of her life physically came back a different person and she still continues to love him. The most ironic picture of all is the last, where he is standing on his porch under an American flag. It made me so incredibly angry and disgusted at the war and the position our country has taken. Especially infuriating is the normalcy this picture has - it would look like an otherwise completely ordinary porch with an American flag. However, there is so much more emotion, history and meaning it takes on with the rest of the series. Moreover, it tells me this person still remains loyal to his country and patriotic after everything he had been through.
It was nearly impossible not to cry while looking through the pictures and they will always leave a pit in my stomach. They made me want to reevaluate myself and my priorities...