Cultural Memory: Photo Colorings

I was raised in a Lebanese society that has survived many wars.  We have been taught that our independence was not delivered on a silver platter, but rather through hard work, perseverance, and hope in the face of total destruction.

I never knew what war was, until July 2006. I felt it was my duty to step up and serve the people of my country. For that reason, I joined the Lebanese Red Cross – First Aid Teams.

My volunteering services during the last four years have helped shape the person I am today: My commitment to my country became my mission in life. Regardless of the nationality or religion one belonged to, my soul duty was to save their life even if mine was on the line, for I believe the most important of human rights is their right to live.

The following three photos were taken during the 2006 war. The first two are my friends, the third one is myself.
I colored them using Adobe Lightroom 3.0 and Adobe Photoshop CS5.

Original Photo:

A Lebanese Red Cross volunteer carries an American child towards a U.S. Navy landing craft on a beach in Beirut to the USS Trenton, which will evacuate 2,000 Americans to Cyprus July 21, 2006. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis (LEBANON) REUTERS.

After coloring it: