Michael Stokes, a 52-year-old Los Angeles-based photographer, is making headlines for clicking naked amputee war veterans. His portraits have a strong sense of empowerment – and serious sex appeal. The scintillating photos show how there’s a lot more to human spirit than an arm and a leg.
The idea for Always Loyal, a book that features stunning photographs of 14 different wounded United States Army, Navy and Marine veterans of The Gulf Wars, first came to Stokes more than two years ago when he met Alex Minsky, an amputee veteran who wanted to pursue a career in modeling. He agreed to shoot Minsky the way he would shoot any other professional model, with one goal in mind – to inspire others by seeing “people who’ve been dealing with disability and injuries their whole lives.”
“People will say it’s not dignified for a veteran to be clothed unnecessarily, but I don’t even respond. Other people will jump on the negative comments right away. They’ll say you’re missing the point. It’s about showing vulnerability and embracing their disabilities,” Stokes told E! News.
“Why can’t an amputee be shot with glamour? These veterans were making themselves vulnerable and deserved to be treated like any other model. If they could handle it, why not? Amputees work harder. One time I was at the beach and I told a [traditional] model, ‘Now we’re going to walk down to these rocks,’ and he was like, ‘Way down there? I’m not doing that.’ And I thought, even double amputees would drag themselves to the end of the beach if I asked,” Stokes told PEOPLE.
“Some people will say to me ‘Oh, this is really helpful to their self-esteem,’ or, ‘You’re making them feel like men again’. These guys have come to me very healed and ready to take the world on. I’m not giving them back their confidence. They already have it,” Stokes told MTV.
He’s currently raising money on Kickstarter to fund two large-scale, coffee table, art books – “Always Loyal” that features wounded US veterans, and “Exhibition” that features fitness models as well as veterans.
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I think these are beautiful. But also it is sad to see what america will sacrifice for resources. I hope in future generations our country will have more morals and less sacrifice for greed. Cheers
This is tasteless.
I have a fit model like body and I think this is fucking tasteless. (more than all those in the pictures)
and yes I take steroids like many of those on the pics have.
But this thing that everything have to be SEX SEX SEX SEX is fucking tasteless and is ruining our society and world as a whole.
Why I converted to Islam.
The religion of good people with good morale and ethics!
So this is tasteless because you are muslim, and it goes against your beliefs? Please tell me again where it says you are allowed to use steroids in the quran? Shut the fuck up. Don’t judge people for showing they are comfortable with their body.
I guess if you can take steroids being muslim you can eat bacon still? So I guess you got that going from you!
You are such a jealous moron. You are sicker than most people I know and have no real knowledge of beauty. All you could see is sex?????
You think you are capable of judging anything when you believe of murder countless innocents and people you do not even know to get into your so called heaven for 72 virgins. Islam my azzzzz. You are just another nut job.
Watch out everyone, this guy is EDGY
You’re being extremely rude and disrespectful, not to mention self-righteous. And by the way, you missed the point! This is provocative art.
It is prob just the goverment who payed the photografer to make this crap to make veterans look like hereos, so even more young stupid kids want to go to war!
They are treated like shit when they get home, even here in Denmark, it is the truth and they try to as always to sell a lies instead of the hard truth.
Haha you cannot even spell photographer!! You deserve your twisted life style. Uneducated silly fool.
Nunchucks.
I know that you are an american, and therefore you can not spell a single word in Danish, contrary to Anders who can spell helluva lot more in perfect English.
And your name… you are too much of a coward to use your own given name on the internet, so you make up some stupid idiotic “nunchucks” for your “name”.
Soooo american of you. Stupid wanker.
what about heroes
At the end of the day they were criminals who went to foreign countries to kill poor defenseless people only for the greedy politicians. Nothing in the world will make them beautiful or hot in my eyes.
Are you free to state your case? Go back to one of these countries we fought See how far you attitude gets your freedom you POS.
Reetah.
You are as stupid as you can be. If you can not see that the endless wars waged by the fascist states of the US are waged for GREED and POWER, you really should figure out a way to end your life ASAP.
The world does not need more morons like you.
You need help. They went because that was their job. They didn’t choose to go, do you think anybody wants to go to war. You said it… it was a political thing….they were sent there. To protect us by the way. I don’t believe they should have gone either. I believe it was Bush’s ego that sent them. But these men, who enlisted, who are brave angels, did ther job and served our country. Everyone of them, not just these brave men, who lost a lot I might add, but the ones who died, the ones who survived & come home challah get mentally by what they have seen, men & women are angels. Angels who were string enough & selfless enough to stand up for our country. You should go live in shame. I don’t agree with war, never. But I surly don’t blame theses brave men & women who do their job….protecting us. Including your clueless ass. Shame on you. They were sent, they did a job most people, including you, wouldn’t have the balls to do. So keep your mouth closed. I thank each & everyone who serves this county & their family’s who deal with this every day. God bless you all. PS. You all do look hot by the way These men, not even now let nothing hold them down. Thank you all.
these photos are gorgeous. i truly dont see how anyone could find a body unattractive just because its missing a limb or two. war is terrible, but this isnt about war. its about empowering the casualties left behind, and i think its great.