Take a look behind the scenes as Photographer, Producer, and Marine Gunnery Sergeant Joseph DiGIrolamo documents the work of Photographer Matthew Callahan. Callahan is a U.S. Marine Combat Correspondent, who, when not telling the stories of the men and women who serve, is working on his personal fine art project, "Galactic Warfighters." This riveting photo essay is aimed at humanizing the fictional, faceless stormtrooper characters of the Star Wars galaxy.
By doing this, Callahan hopes to remind the general public that those who fight for us are not faceless clones. They are real people experiencing real hardships, exhibiting selfless acts of valor, bravery, and compassion, all in the name of their country. Using photos captured during real-life combat, Callahan tries to capture the spirit of what it is like through toy characters that are just 1/6th scale (or 12 inches). There is a very cool moment when Sergeant William Bee (also featured in this video post: How Photographers Change the Way You Feel About War) recognizes himself in one of Callahan's images, which was inspired by an iconic photo of Sgt. Bee, taken by Goran Tomasevic while under fire near Garmser, Afghanistan.
Don't forget, Matthew Callahan isn't just shooting toys. His body of work consists of some very real and spectacular images. So, be sure to check him out on his webpage and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
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Callahan is a fellow vet. His experiences differ from individual to individual. This is his experience transcribed into Star Wars themed photo essay. As a former Infantryman, I was just "a number on a dog tag". But, we are all people with lives, we bleed, we suffer, we feel loss...the human element which is more than "a number on a dog tag". This is how I see it.
Just plain bad ass images!
awesome
wow amazing story and great photos!
Love this. Definitely an interesting take and the execution is flawless.