Old world transportation

 

I was amazed, not that I had never seen it, or thought I wouldn't see it, but the frequency rate at which I saw non-mechanical modes of transportation was awesome. This was just the better of the reference shots. I got to see several carts being pulled and the like in addition to the individual rider and his beast of burden.

 

This composition required three different reference shots and manipulating two of them by adjusting, cutting out, and moving parts to get everything to fit. This one is one of my favorite for just the idea of blending all the different elements together and making one cohesive piece. 

Training the few

I think this is what I planned on doing a lot more of, and this was the mental preparation that I did before going over to Iraq, especially in the 'closing down' period. I can't say we did very much of this, although it did happen. But to cover my bases, it was a very different experience than I would thought it was going to be. Lots of ups and downs, too many expectations and the build up did not match the actual event nearly enough to compensate for the varied experiences that have caused a traumatic return home.