Military stock photographer shocked to learn soldiers mock his work

BALTIMORE – A local military stock art photographer has learned that the service members he tries to honor with his photos think his work is “laughable” and a “disgrace to the uniform”.

Igor Pushkin has never served in the U.S. military, but following the events of Sept. 11, 2001 and the subsequent Global War on Terror, he made it his life’s work to honor the brave men and women who serve the nation.

“I started this project hoping I could say ‘thank you’ to all the brave soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen who put their lives on the line every single day,” Pushkin said at a recent gallery of his work.

Puskin’s work has been featured in several marketing campaigns targeting service members, veterans, and their families for years. Large organizations such as USAA and the Veterans of Foreign Wars are just two of the big names in Pushkin’s portfolio and he says he used to get calls weekly from ad agencies and businesses looking to license his work.

“It was really, really good business and I made a lot of money,” Pushkin said. “I’ve never served, but I feel like this was my way to contribute to the war effort.”

But as the public’s interest in the military’s actions overseas waned over the years, so did the demand for patriotic imagery. Pushkin said he will now get a few dollars for downloads of his work from websites such as Pexels or Alamy during peak seasons such as Veterans Day or Memorial Day but hasn’t gotten a call from an agency or business in several years.

To help pique the public’s interest in his work again, Puskin hosted a gallery of his favorite pieces of work at the Baltimore Convention Center. In addition to media, businesses, and veterans organizations, Puskin also invited local service members from Fort Meade and the Naval Academy.

In addition to raising interest about his work, he advertised the event as a tribute to the warriors who’d dedicated their lives to service and to those who never made it home. The marketing was a success and the gallery sold out within hours of ticket sales going online.

Although he was well intentioned with the event, it appeared that the service members and veterans in attendance didn’t reciprocate the benign feelings.

“I walked in and immediately thought it was a joke,” said Lt. Vince Granby, a student at the Defense Information School, or DINFOS, on Fort Meade. “I remember telling my buddy that I went with that I thought we were being trolled. I mean, I almost fell on the floor laughing.”

“Wait, a professional took these?” asked Sgt. Benji Ohto, a public affairs soldier with the 362nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment based out of Londonderry, New Hampshire. “I have privates straight out of DINFOS who can take better pictures than that.”

Out of the thirty service members we interviewed at the event, all of them shared the same feelings as Granby and Ohto.

“My heart sank,” said Pushkin. I’ve dedicated the last twenty-plus years to this craft and apparently everyone thinks it’s a joke. Maybe they’re the joke. I’ve sold hundreds of copies of my photos and I’m a joke? Nope. I think I need to call the DoD because there’s a whole lot of stolen valor happening here and that is not okay.”

One of those people Puskin accused of stolen valor was Rear Adm. Brian Keissler, superintendent of the Naval Academy in Annapolis.

“When Mr. Pushkin started berating the Soldiers and Sailors who’d attended his event, I knew I needed to step in,” said Keissler. “I went to the event in hope of sharing Mr. Pushkin’s enthusiasm for supporting the troops, but the fact of the matter is, his photography is a disgrace to the uniform. I’m no expert on the minutiae of other branches standards, but I’ve been around the joint force long enough to know when a uniform is jacked up or facial hair is out of regulation.”

“You can Google AR 670-1 (the Army regulation dictating proper wear and appearance of the uniform) and read it for free,” said Ohto. “If you can’t figure that out, just ask a veteran or something.”

Keissler and Ohto aren’t alone in their feelings toward military imagery that doesn’t properly display the uniform as it’s meant to be worn. And it’s not just stock imagery that falls victim to this taboo. Hollywood movies are also one of the biggest offenders.

“We care so much about how our uniform is displayed because it’s more than just a set of clothing,” said U.S. Army Capt. Andrew Henderson, commander of A Co., 1-64 Infantry Regiment, based out of Fort Jackson, South Carolina. “The uniform is a symbol. It represents every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and Marine who came before us, who wore the uniform, and died in the uniform defending our nation and our way of life.”

Henderson added that he doesn’t mind seeing the uniform being used in commercial photography or movies because it can help spread awareness of the military, but improper usage can actually do more harm than good.

“We are a professional organization,” said Henderson. “We hold our people accountable to maintain the highest standards and whenever we go out into the community, we do so representing our communities, our nation, and the U.S. military. It would be nice if the people in Hollywood took the time to reflect that same level of pride in their work that we do in ours.”

The most frustrating thing for veterans is that resources are available for film makers and photographers to ensure they don’t suffer the same SNAFUs as Puskin. There is even a National Guard public affairs office in every state and territory of the United States that is able to provide guidance to anyone who asks.

And, as for photography, the United States Department of Defense launched the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) in 2003 which serves as a depository for all photos, videos, and other media its public affairs and combat camera service members take to help tell the military story.

As a government entity, every piece of visual media the military produces fall under public domain, meaning anyone can reuse the product for their own purposes, including advertisements and marketing. These photos are vetted to ensure uniforms are “dress-right-dress” and up to standard.

Perhaps it was the massive influx of photography through the GWOT era, both professionally and privately, that led to the decline of Pushkin’s business. Perhaps it was his lack of attention to detail and the subsequent loss of business for the organizations who used his work in their advertising. Regardless of the cause, we asked him if he’s going to use this feedback to change his approach to how he shoots military stock imagery.

“Fuck those guys,” Pushkin said. “I respected them but they didn’t respect me. So no, I think I’m done taking photos of those phonies and I’m moving to Russia where my work can be appreciated.”

Pushkin said he had already received an opportunity with the Russian government to take photos of the Motherland’s finest heroes as they prepare for a special military operation on the Western front.

*EDITOR’S NOTE* Igor Pushkin was unable to be reached for follow up questions about whether or not he found any success in Russia.

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