A military sniper in action is something that photographer Simon Menner has set out to find and document. He designs his shots so that the snipers can operate as covertly and blend in as possible.
However, for those who work in this field, avoiding detection for long stretches of time requires high levels of competence and endurance.
However, the challenge extends to spectators as well as snipers. In one of Simon’s photographs, which appears to be merely an ordinary landscape, viewers are tasked with finding the sniper hiding there.
In reality, where a split-second choice could mean the difference between life and death, they would not have the luxury of paying attention to every last detail of the image.
Between 2010 and 2013, Simon had the lofty ambition of filming the shooters of the German Wehrmacht. He traveled to Lithuania and Latvia in 2022 after planning for ten years to capture the images that would go viral online.
Even the most experienced viewers might have a difficult time identifying the soldiers because they had received extensive training specifically for this photo shoot. From blending in with their surroundings to avoiding Simon’s camera, every little thing was taken into consideration.
They worked hard to remain anonymous throughout a staged shot, so it was a source of pride. As a result, the pictures revealed the marksmen’s extraordinary skill, accuracy, and ingenuity.
Simon is searching for photos of snipers who have used camouflage to expertly blend in with their surroundings. His goal is made more challenging by the fact that they are hidden from everyone, making it an original and difficult experiment. After requesting that the US military get in touch with him, he has received worldwide notice.
In one image, viewers are baffled as they search for the sniper. At first glance, the structure in the image appears to have a person hiding inside the doorway leading to the second level.
The expert sniper has remained undetected due to their camouflage and advantageous location; even if they were found, they would not have had enough time to react before it was too late.