These are very intimate portraits of young American soldiers who are in between tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sometimes they look like the heads of fallen statues.

Photographer Suzanne Opton said, "I wanted to take a vulnerable picture of a soldier, which is quite the opposite of how we think of soldiers, usually. But they are vulnerable."

See more of her series, Soldier, here in Lens Culture. And listen to Opton talk about her project in a compelling 10-1/2 minute audio interview, too. Articulate, smart, thoughtful, provocative.