Friday, April 9, 2010

Jake Chesley's Afghanistan

The pictures in this post aren't mine.  They are Jake's and Jake is a marine in Afghanistan.

A friend of mine named Jake Chesley (who is also a distant cousin oddly enough) is currently serving in the marines in Afghanistan.  Besides being a soldier (I have no idea if "soldier" is the right term), he is also one of the most brilliant photographers I have ever seen.  His work amazes me.  Always interesting, captivating, filled with emotion, and never includes an otherwise naked baby in pearls sporting a bow that rivals the size of a football field (which is totally okay if that's your thing though).

Anyway, he recently posted these pictures on facebook and I was blown away when I saw them!  I asked him if I could share them with others and he said I could.  They were just so captivating I thought others should see them.

As you scroll through them keep in mind the conditions, the different culture, the soldiers, and the different forms of plant and animal life.  To quote Jake, he said regarding the picture with the crazy bug (you'll know it when you see it), "Pretty sure it's an alien."

Finally, because these are property of Jake Chesley, please do not use without permission (though, if you are interested in reusing, printing, or publishing any of them, let me know and I can put you in contact with Jake).























2 comments:

M said...

Wow, beautiful! I especially love the one with the pink flower and soldier in the background. Beautiful things can thrive, even in the face of war.

Taryn said...

One word: Captivating.

Really, these are so interesting. I think that the picture of the tulip is very thought provoking--a beautiful, delicate flower in contrast with the strong figure of a soldier.

The images of the local people tell such a unique story that draws you in.

WHAT is that bug? It looks like some kind of mutant. (I'm not a bug person, but this is revoltingly fascinating.)

Oh (sigh), that last picture is amazing.

Thank your friend for sharing this impressively enlightening collection of images. What an honor to be able to look into his world.