U.S. Marine Gysgt. Carlos "OJ" Orjuela, age 31, Garmsir District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan Possibly 2008 - 2013

Louie Palu made this gelatin silver print of U.S. Marine Gysgt. Carlos "OJ" Orjuela in Afghanistan. Look at the way the light falls on his face, and how it models the texture of the dirt, sweat and grime. It’s like a painter building up layers of tone to give a sense of depth and reality. The physical presence of the dirt clinging to his skin really gets to me. It’s so tactile, you can almost feel the grit. See how the rivulets trace paths down his forehead and cheeks? It’s like a map of his experience, each line telling a silent story of exertion and endurance. It reminds me of Rineke Dijkstra’s portraits of soldiers just back from deployment, that combination of exhaustion and vulnerability. Palu’s choice to work in monochrome strips away any distractions, leaving us face to face with the human cost of conflict. There’s no easy reading here.