Michael StokesMichael Stokes wants you to see veterans in an entirely new light.
The Los Angeles-based photographer is making headlines for his project, a book featuring 14 Gulf War vets posing nude, and it's easy to see why.
Stokes has been hard at work on Always Loyal for the past two and a half years with one goal in mind: to inspire others by seeing "people who've been dealing with disability and injuries their whole lives."
The portraits display a staggering juxtaposition of wounded soldiers, showcasing every bit of their bodies in an undeniably erotic manner.
"People will say it's not dignified for a veteran to be clothed unnecessarily, but I don't even respond," Stokes tells E! News exclusively regarding the backlash he's faced.
"Other people will jump on the negative comments right away. They'll say you're missing the point. It's about showing vulnerability and embracing their disabilities."
Stokes is also facing criticism over one of the two cover images of his book, which shows BT Urruela in what appears to be a recreation of a crucifixion.
"75% of people loved it, some people said no so we decided to do two covers. You can go to Kickstarter and order the cover with the crucifixion image," Stokes explained.
The photographer also shared that he's had trouble keeping some of his more risqué images on Facebook, but fans of the skin-clad photos have rallied together and started a petition on Change.org to prevent the social media platform from removing any of his posts.
And one thing's for certain, the models Stokes uses are 100% on board with the message their sending through the powerful photographs.
In fact, Urruela posted the following stamp of approval on Instagram recently, saying, "[I'm] so appreciative of how much he does for veterans, and even more so for the great friend he's become. He's such an awesome and kind-hearted person."