Challenging The Status Quo

                "The Status Quo Sucks"  

                             - George Carlin, Comedian

I was recently hired by a client to create quality imagery that realistically represents the theme:  military transition.

Military transition is typically described as leaving or retiring from the service to pursue another career in the civilian workplace.

Unlike me, many Veterans typically start looking for jobs in the private and corporate sector.

I was very excited about taking on this new project, and in preparation I conducted an online search to see what was out there.

The client had already expressed his disappointment with the current stock photography.

I don't blame him, it is comical, at best.

My "favorites" are the images that slice the member in half to show a portion of the uniform that looks like it was bought from Walmart.  My second favorite is the skin tight, superhero-looking character...

Military Transition Stock Photography

By my last count, it appears like only the Army and perhaps the Air Force members are transitioning into the real world.  As such, the public probably thinks all Veterans wear the same green camouflage pajamas. 

I get it, the Navy uniforms are confusing, and we tend to change them often; I've dedicated an entire double closet in my house to the twenty or so variations I collected over three decades.

Quality imagery can either make or break your message, but it starts by knowing your audience, which is why most of the time I refuse to watch TV shows that center on the Armed Forces because they rarely get the characters, language or culture quite right.   

Having gone through Military Transition myself, I felt up to the task to create something new for my client. 

Besides, the status quo had set the bar low and I was up for the challenge.

The following collage is what the client chose:

A special thank you to my two models, Gaby Winter & Stephanie Sinclair

Here are some other images from the project:

I think my next project needs to advocate for Military Transition & Veteran Entrepreneurship, another area I'm familiar with.

When was the last time you challenged the status quo? Were you satisfied with the results?

Laura Hatcher is a retired Naval Officer, Mother, Harley Rider and Published Professional Photographer located in Northern Virginia.  Her photography studio is located on 218 North Lee Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

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