Intended AudienceTrade
Reviews"His no-holds-barred photography has captured dozens of young wounded vets in ways the public is not used to seeing them: fit, happy and proud to show themselves." - CNN"Those Sexy, Naked Amputee War Veterans Are Now Part of a Sexy, Naked Book" - Cosmopolitan"""Stunning photos of the heroes who have lost their limbs in war"" - Daily Mail""Instead of portraying male and female amputee veterans as broken soldiers, these sexy, nude photos celebrate their strength, helping to change the way we see their disability." - Metro"Gaze At These Brave (And Naked) Veterans And Feel Free To Let The Thirst Take Over" - MTV
SynopsisLA-based photographer Michael Stokesputs different spin on how wounded veterans are depicted: In Always Loyal he shows them sexy, confident, and tough. "I'm not giving them back their confidence. They already have it," says Stokes. Always Loyal received praise from CNN, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Mail, Metro, MTV, and many others around the globe., Inspired by a chapter in his 2014 book, "Bare Strength," which featured wounded amputee Marines, celebrated photographer Michael Stokes has created an entire photographic volume dedicated to U.S. Gulf War veterans. Always Loyal, a large-scale, hardcover coffee table book, showcases the beautiful side of wounded soldiers, whose injuries and/or lost limbs are detailed in intimate, exclusive photographs and information that provide a highly unique appreciation for those brave souls who have fought for the United States of America. The goal of fitness photographer Stokes-who, inspired by a shoot with veteran and amputee Alex Minsky, wanted to put a different spin on how wounded veterans were depicted-was to create a book via crowdfunder KickStarter.com. "I met this veteran, Alex Minsky, and talked to him about different approaches to a portrait session," says Stokes. "I had already studied as many amputee photos that I could find. I noticed that most of them emphasized the lost limb, and that the mood was often sorrowful. That was not the vibe I was getting from him, so I decided to simply photograph him as if he were not an amputee, photograph him exactly the same way I would any of my fitness models." The result of the book is pure art. Always Loyal received praise from CNN, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Mail, Metro, MTV, and many others around the globe. Stokes donated $20,000 from Always Loyal sellings to the Semper FI Fund, a charity that benefits wounded warriors.
LC Classification NumberTR681.M4