Mesmerizing Photographs Of Soldiers' Faces Before, During, And After A War

[Are_grits_groceries]

While the emotional repercussions of war aren't easy to measure, the before, during, and after pictures of soldiers who have seen combat tell a pretty unsettling story. There's something mesmerizing about these photographs, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
Many pics:
http://www.upworthy.com/mesmerizing-photographs-of-soldiers-faces-before-and-after-a-war?c=upw1

Fascinating.

[Arkansas Granny]

1. The eyes, it's in the eyes.

[Whisp]

5. Why do some of their eyes look Bigger in the After pics?

strange.

[Skidmore]

8. Anxiety in the eyes in the middle pictures.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. They lost weight....

the faces are slimmer, looks like.

and the "during" pics show anxiety.

[Whisp]

18. you can really see the stress.

[Sheepshank]

2. In many, many of the 'during' photos

eyes are watery and slightly squinted. I wonder why?

[seabeyond]

12. focused, direct and squinty.... like alert. nt

[GoCubsGo]

14. The light is brighter.

You'll notice that it makes the blue eyes look lighter, too.

[premium]

3. The Thousand Yard Stare.

Those that served in combat will understand exactly what I'm referencing.

[leveymg]

4. That's where the term "battle hardened" comes from - war changes people.

Normally, not for the better.

Produces a harder shell of a man, but somehow hollowed-out

[Puzzledtraveller]

6. It's a different reality, war can't be unseen

We are quite shielded from the daily horrors that are the reality of so many.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. An appropriate song

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. Heartfelt song to any parent.

It is beyond my wildest imagination....a totally impossible,unreal concept...that my 2 sons would ever
be in the military.
They were born in 66 and 68, at a time when not having a draft was but a dream.

I fail to see, when holding your first born son, why any mother does not become an instant pacifist.

[seabeyond]

11. ya, but in every photo of the "at war" picture, they have a specific light that sharpens the look

in the eye, while lighting so different for others the eyes arent all that.

how much is manipulated?

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. You know, for that reason, I am not as moved by these as some.

While I do think that war changes people (I know my own "look" has changed since 2007), there are too many different variables in each of the pictures for me. Light changes everything... unless one is truly photogenic.

[GoCubsGo]

16. Glad to see I'm not the only one who noticed that.

The light in the "during" photos is a lot brighter. It makes the guys who have blue eyes look like the mutants from "The Omega Man" compared to their other photos.

Those photos ARE manipulated, and there's nothing "mesmerizing" about them, IMO.

[Mariana]

17. May have used different lenses, too.

I can't say for sure, but I think the "after" shots have been done using a more wide-angle lens than the "before" shots.

[treestar]

13. Wow that is interesting

The eyes narrow during. Not sure what to make of the afters - one of them is looking down as if he can no longer look straight on.