Unseen

Made possible by a 2016 grant from the Rasmuson Foundation and the Alaska Humanities Forum, UNSEEN is an environmental portrait of the fiercely private men and women serving in the Alaska Air National Guard’s 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons. Over an eight-month period I embedded with the team at Joint Base Elmendorf - Fort Richardson. I navigated my own intrusion into a tight-knit tribe of pararescuemen, combat rescue officers, specialized aviation mechanics, helicopter pilots, and hundreds of support personnel, all who thrive outside the spotlight. A profound paradox emerged among these individuals: living with deep purpose and feeling truly necessary often eclipses the human need for safety. By observing their intense training and flying on hair-raising missions, I sought to distill the reality of their existence—a world stripped of the extraneous, where instinct, shared sacrifice, and an ancient kind of courage bind them together. Ultimately, this challenging endeavor evolved into a deeply rewarding culmination of several long term photographic exhibits, offering an indelible look at quiet warriors who share a language more complex than words.