After photographing a single event at the 2015 Department of Defense Warrior Games, I have a renewed appreciation and respect for the men and women in the military.

The Warrior Games were held at the Quantico Marine Base and included a week of competition by injured, ill, and wounded service members and veterans. Competitors came from all US military branches and some foreign services as well. I photographed the shot put field event for Prince William Living Magazine, and I was amazed at what I saw. 

I saw service members with injuries that I could not imagine experiencing. Soldiers who had suffered terrible bodily injury, and likely much worse psychological pain, were here to support each other and compete, despite what they had gone through. It was inspiring to see these people pushing beyond their injuries and competing at a high level.

Personally, I have always enjoyed capturing the intensity that appears on a person’s face when someone is at a peak moment. It is a fleeting moment of concentration, of exertion, of focus so great that they seem to block out all else for for this point in time. I have also appreciated tightly photographed portraits, ones that focus everything down to a single human being.

Below are tightly photographed portraits of the competitors, converted to black and white to simplify their moment.

I have a new appreciation for what our military service members go through to protect the freedom this country enjoys.

I hope you enjoy these images, and that you have at least some appreciation for what our military members endure for our protection. To see all the images with the option of purchasing, visit the full gallery at Prince William Living Magazine.