Kael Alford is a photojournalist who has covered culture, politics, and conflict in the Balkans and the Middle East. Her work documenting the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 shows the impact of the war on Iraqi citizens who live amidst the daily threat and effects of violence. Working unembedded, rather than traveling with the US military, allowed her freedom to move around the country and connect with civilians, though it also placed her in more precarious positions with less logistical support. University students, seen here, fear being singled out by radical militia groups who have threatened women for attending university or for appearing in public without covering their heads.