# Weapon-Wielding Wartography Ken Hermann's 'Boys With Guns' Puts a Face on War By Meghan Young | Published 2010-11-18 | Fashion Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/boys-with-guns References: [behance.net](http://www.behance.net/gallery/Boys-with-guns/792696) & [kenhermann](http://kenhermann.com) I think 'Boys with guns' is a frightening concept, yet Ken Hermann has decided that it is in fact a very photographic one. Taking portraits of weapon-wielding men, I can't tell if these are true [military/army personnel](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tough-guys-soft-sweaters) or models pretending to be so. In the end, however, 'Boys with guns' is a [powerful portrait series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/still-life-1) that needs no distinctions. It puts a face on the "war against terrorism," making the whole situation feel a lot more real. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.2/10 - Popularity: 40% | Activity: 19% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/fashion) > [Photography](https://www.trendhunter.com/stylephotography) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Weaponized Portraiture:** The incorporation of weapons in portraiture for artistic expression and commentary. - **Humanization of Warfare:** The focus on the individuals involved in war and conflict, rather than political or ideological agendas. - **Borderline Reality:** The blurring of lines between fact and fiction in visual media representation of conflict and violence. ### Who This Affects Most - **Photography:** Developing new and provocative approaches to visual storytelling through the use of unconventional themes and subjects. - **Military Equipment Production:** Incorporating aspects of art and design into military equipment and weaponry to improve appeal and marketing. - **Journalism:** Utilizing innovative visual storytelling techniques to better highlight individual experiences and perspectives related to global conflict and security issues. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Travel-Inspired Canvas Paintings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-passport-series.md) - [Journalist-Focused Short Films](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-shooting.md) - [Contemporary Military Fashion Brands](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ukrainian-brand-rbtnk.md) - [Refined Vintage Militaristic Fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/studio-nicholson-fw25.md) - [British Youth-Culture Photography Books](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/home-and-away.md) - [Explosion-Damaged Sculpture Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/light-into-darkness.md) - [AI-Generated Poetic Photo Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/emilio-alarcn.md) - [Anti-Gender Violence Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/antigender-violence-campaign.md) - [Child-Friendly Camera Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/camera-for-kids.md)