life of a S O L D I E R Photo

Photographer’s Note

I went through some of my pictures from Iraq last year and decided to post one. This is an every day thing for a soldier in Iraq. I took this picture while doing guard duty on a tower in Baghdad. This weapon is a 240B machine gun that shoots 7.62mm rounds. Hope you guys like it :0)

Philip

crettaz, Liekje has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

vapours (7913) 2005-10-05 21:41

Interesting point of view, one that not a lot of people would be used of.

I've never been behind a gun myself, but it would be bit mindblowing know that you can end somebodys life just by pulling the trigger.

sam224 (5851) 2005-10-06 5:38

Hi Philip, I think your shot has a good documentary appeal trying to giving us an idea of what the war and the situation in Iraq must have been and still is. I didn't approve the decision of invading Iraq and I still disapprove the way the Western governements and politics are managing the situation down there, but obviously the life of a soldier is a hard life..
You picture has good framing, light and composition.
Good job..
Smiles later.

sotirios (1685) 2005-10-06 6:50

Hallo Philip, PLEASE READ ALL MY CRITIQUE
i will be honest to you,i love weapons, any kind from pistols to air fighters, i've nothing personal with you, you went there to do your job, (dirty job).
But what is done over there by your country is a shame, it is not right to occupy a country in the name of freedom, or the reason of biological weapons, which you did not find couse they did not exist, when everybody (including many American cityzens) know that what you want is oil.
I can't say that people there lived hapily, but they were in no need of assistance from you, there are many other countries which need your help as a superpower but just because they have nothing good for you, you don't help.
You surely risked your life there, but only for the money.
I' sorry if this opinion is not liked, but there are many many people who beleive the same.
I wonder how life of a patriot would look like!!
Your photo made me express what i've writen above
Yours sincerely
Sotirios
ps Two or a thousand points are not enough to reward the rush you feel, not knowing where the bullet is going to come from, being in war is being in hell.

ps Another last thing, in my opinion (not that i care so much, but that i consider to be noble) you should stop uploading photos of soldiers in Iraq. I know that this is a very important part of your life and many other troopers', but for some people at trek community it must be as offensive as it would be for you to see a burning flag of the USA. That would also be a picture full of emotions as yours are, but you would critisize it very negative as some do to your photos.
DON'T DO TO OTHERS WHAT YOU DON'T WANT TO BE DONE TO YOU.

[2] +

rbcy1974 (20742) 2005-10-06 9:13

Hi Philip,
Very good capture of daily lige you can even see some barrikades on the road. OTherwise the architecture seems like that of suburban middle class neighborhoods in Latin America.
I personally don't agree with the war in Iraq, but I dont agree with Sotirios, I beleive that this is a reality of the world and that by showing it you are showing a fact of the world and that is what this site is about. So as far as I am concerned keep on uploading them. However hopefuly soon we will start seeing Iraq photos which were not taken in a time of war.
Regards
Daniel

rosiegirl (2042) 2005-10-06 14:29

As long as we're all expressing our oppinions- I must say I agree with you, Philip. There are many good reasons for going to war- and I think there were some in this case. But we're not here to talk politics, we're here to talk pictures. I like how the gun and bullets are silhouetted- it gives an ominous feeling to it. The background looks great from the high position you took this from. Nice capture.
Rosie
Ps- Keep posting them- like you said, people have a choice to look at them or not.

haans_gruber (0) 2005-10-06 17:22

Who is america to decide that Iraq should be a democracy?
Why not Cuba then too, since it's only 90 miles away?
These are all excuses and the people who make war gain contracts, power and money from it every time.
The organizing principle of every society lies in it's war powers.
Attacking other people, or their beliefs is wrong.
Certainly trying to force an entire population to live according to your moral values is wrong.
These people have never represented any real threat.
Freedom is not something you can fight for, it is a state of mind.

"Free your mind and your body will surely follow"

Here is a website you might find interesting it's called Cost Of War, Which incidentally is bordering on 200,000,000,000 ....... Enjoy!

You might also want to take a look at the 14 defining points of fascism. You can view that here

I'm sorry you had to do these horrible things to other human beings.
I am quite sure it is something you will never forget.
If it makes you feel better to view your actions as noble, then who am I to disagree?

Nice photo.

peace,

haans :)

[3]

royh (577) 2005-10-13 2:22

Hi Philip,

I looked thru your photos and I think this is another good documentary of an important event in our times. It looks almost like a street scene out of los angeles, but with a machine gun out the window.

I think that some people fail to realize that survival is hardwired more than anything else into our system (not by our big govts) as the primary reason to expand our energies. For westerners, the fabrications of being "noble" and "spreading democracy" are far behind in that list.

9/11 was an attack on western civilization by an enemy that is as brainwashed to destroy it as nazis were. I dont know if bush planned to invade iraq before then but it is the LEAST he could have done since then.

For the enemy survival of the arab homeland in iraq also outranks spreading fundamentalist type of islam by the sword in our homelands. People need to read between the lines and see that if we aren't fighting them in baghdad or kabul we would be fighting them in los angeles, paris, rome, etc.

Keep up the good work, Philip.

BilalN (0) 2005-10-15 11:10

Will we see the pictures of Abu Gharib and massacres of Falluja?

I was glad to see this wonderful and peaceful site without politics and propaganda.

fireflyz (2079) 2005-10-20 20:29

Terrorism [from U.S. Codes and Army manuals]
"the calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to attain goals that are political, religious or ideological in nature...through intimidation, coercion or instilling fear."

That is exactly what US did to acheive its political goal!

Hypocrites: are those who apply to others the standards that they refuse to accept for themselves.

Traveller (665) 2005-11-05 21:28

This is a very good documentary photo, even though it is a little too dark in the left corner, but this is because of the sun's light.
It was very interesting for me to see the soldier's point of view, maybe even because I used to like to play "war" when I was a child, which was influenced by the terrible impact of the WW II onto my homeland country, the USSR, and we learned about heroes and read lots of books and watched movies about it. We played mostly "reconnaissance men".
I agree with "rosiegirl" about continuing posting this kind of photos, just because they are documentary, but BY NO MEANS I CAN AGREE that "there are many good reasons for going to war" and just to start a war!!! NOBODY has the right to kill people! This is my opinion.
Irina, whose name means "peace" in Greek.
I wanted to write this, because Philip's photos never leave me indifferent.

kckuddes (273) 2005-12-19 18:22

Philip,

Excellent shot. Please keep posting photos of a soldiers life. It's good for people to see items from a soldiers point of view since most people do not serve these days.

First Team!

Kusto (0) 2006-03-05 6:52

Honestly , the pic is not difficult to catch if you are just in the place , i suppose all the destruction U.S is causing all over the world can stimulate your imagination in order to take pictures, i suppose this weapon is not aimed to bring peace to anywhere (i know you really know it) ...Did you take pictures of inocent slaughtered kids attending to school? At least i checked you listened to the messages from great part of the world saying : Yankees go home! and you are now eating your favourite burgers at your aunt 's home in U.S

From an Anti-Yankee , without crispation :)

gemini (40) 2006-03-10 9:19

Hi mate,

great picture of a crap place to be for anyone. I'm in the British Army, and if the bleating Liberals and do-gooders who have never been in a similar situation stopped their anti-military preachings for enough time for their cappucinos and mung-bean salads to congeal, then they would realise that all soldiers of all nationalities in Iraq(including the Iraqi peacekeepers) are doing a fantastic job in the face of horrendous conditions. Yes bad things happen in wars- they are nasty things, but to criticise those people trying to do the best they can in the face of political incompetence is plain cowardly. If people want to make a difference then lobby the Governments- that's what democracy is for- a thing the Iraqi people were lacking before.

Great work and an invaluable personal record of a decisive period of history,

Mark

dragonslayero (3106) 2006-11-09 12:17

Hello Philip

Very interesting POV,despite what we constantly hear from Iraq it seems you have cought a quiet calm moment.
I've never seen this gun in real life, but based on what I can compare to photos, you seem to have the captured the most anonymous side of it.
I was in the Norwegian army last year, I didn't use this gun but we were issued with MG3 machine guns
Heavy like h*ll but it would be a life saviour in a combat situation.
I got some more info, it's in German, but it has some nice photos of the MG3. MG3 machine gun disassembled

The contrasts and the pure detail in your shot looks good.

I know war and fighting is a sensitive topic on TE, infact it is sore topic wherever you look.
I'm glad you share your views from this conflict filled part of the world.

Odd Jarle (Ex-Corporal, HMKG, Norwegian Army(Retired from service))

Ioan (49) 2006-11-25 8:46

Hi, Philip! This is a good photo no matter of what one think about the war in Iraq. An inspired POV and a good choice for B&W. I like the dark sillouete of the machinegun in the foreground. I don't agree with the ones that are saying that the photo is offensive and should not be posted. This is censorship! The war in Iraq is a fact of life, weather we like it or not. And TE tries to show us the world through photography which is exactly what you did. Regards!
Ioan

crettaz (2685) 2006-12-05 4:02

This one is good...

Sorry, but I find that the war there low, is not within your competence. But I admire all the same the courrage which it is necessary to go there, it is not easy

Watch here if you like tanks
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/photo514979.htm

ls_photography (8) 2006-12-13 21:14

I myself really like this picture, it has good contrast, good lighting, and is just a good picture over all. Looking at it, I feel like I'm there, and that is what makes it such a good picture. I also think it is crazy how much stuff gets started when pictures from Iraq are posted....

rafid76 (2611) 2006-12-22 20:17

"the cause of liberty becomes a MOCKERY if the price to be paid is the wholesale destruction of those who are to enjoy liberty" Ghandi

Liekje (574) 2007-05-27 14:12

Interesting shot, of daily life in a warzone. Most of the time I'm used to seeing pictures of journalists or people who live there, but there's off course also the stories and pictures of soldiers. Off course war is a terrible thing, but it's still a reality to many people all over the world. War is a reality to more people than white sandy beaches). And being send out to fight in a war is just as real as your pictures show. So many young men (and women) are being send out to fight wars far away from home. I bet it's a f*cked up job, but somebody's gotta go it and I admire you and the others for standing strong in that situation.

I just don't like to see this picture showing a man walking at the end of this gun pointed.

Please keep posting pictures of your life in situations like this, people too often forget soldiers are just people too who were sent out to do a job. We see so many things in the media, also with photos (but there a whole crew decided what photos (not) to show to the people). I'd like to see the reality from an actual person in situations like this.
It's all a part of learning more about the world through photography.

Thanks for sharing.

MichaelTrezzi (3170) 2009-10-31 0:13

Hello Philip,
Thank you for the Iraqi pictures showing the "real" life of what the media don't present. It is very important to spread around how tthings in Iraq really look like. Well done. Best regards,
Michael