Faces of Kearsarge

Faces of Kearsarge is a portrait series documenting the individuals serving aboard the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3), focusing on the intersection between identity, duty, and responsibility. Each photograph isolates a service member in their working environment, wearing the specialized uniform that reflects their role, rank, and daily reality within the ship’s ecosystem. From flight deck crews to medical personnel, engineers to command staff, the series highlights the unexpected diversity of visual culture found within a single U.S. warship.

Uniforms aboard a naval vessel are designed for function, but they also carry individuality. Subtle variations in wear, posture, and expression reveal the person beneath the role. What emerges is an unintentional fashion unique to the United States Navy, shaped by environment, responsibility, and lived experience.

The project was created to humanize military service by shifting focus away from abstraction and toward presence. These are not symbols or statistics; they are people. Faces with fatigue, pride, humor, and quiet resilience. By isolating each individual within the ship's larger machine, Faces of Kearsarge invites viewers to confront the human dimension of service, offering a moment of recognition between subject and observer.