Photo Portraits: Where did you get that scar, Jane?

As a high school student, Lucy had a motorcycle accident on Sydney Harbor Bridge. She broke her leg, had to undergo surgery several times for an infection. Of these interventions still tell many scars on the skin of the now 45-year-olds.

How do they influence their lives today? How do other people react? The photographer Brock Elbank has met people who have permanent scars because of an accident, a physical attack or a disease. Sometimes they are small, sometimes big, in some they are hidden under clothing most of the time, in others at any time visible.

Elbank has long been fascinated by scars, telling of a moment or phase in a person's life. These people have often experienced something that few can empathize with. "Their scars are a trophy for me, that they have overcome a challenge," he says. "You can be an inspiration to others in a similar situation."

Six years ago, the photographer happened upon Margaret, who fell ill with breast cancer at the age of 24 and had both breasts amputated and reconstructed. She was the first person he photographed for his series Scars. With her experiences the young woman is very open today and tries to support others with her experiences. "My scars stand for the fight I waged, but they do not define who I am, so I wear it with pride," she says.

Elbank shows the men, women and children unclothed - depending on the location of the scar or as a full body photo. They all reveal their injured job, tell how it happened and what the consequences are. Particularly unsightly and conspicuous scars can affect well-being in some, they feel less attractive, are uncertain or ashamed. The subjects tell how the scars affected their emotions and behaviors, and how they learned to handle them.

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Because of a malignant tumor in the lower lip, Adele had to remove it completely and rebuild it. Her everyday life is very influenced, she can not close her mouth while eating and sleeping, for example. To make her scar less noticeable to others, she uses daily make-up. She is often asked about it, sometimes she tells her story, on other days she says that the others do not care - depending on the mood.

26-year-old Ivan was diagnosed with a tumor in the head that turned out to be benign. Many people are interested in the cause of his scar, but he has no problem talking about it. Because of kidney disease, the 23-year-old Tara received donor organs from her father and stepmother. Since the scar is hidden under her clothes most of the time, many do not know about her. "I traded a bit of skin for a life full of adventure, mountains, climbing, traveling, what a low price," she says.

Suzan, 36, was in a coma for two weeks after a car accident, requiring multiple surgeries on her face and arm, prosthetics and implants. Most would be reluctant to speak directly to her, preferring her to do so. The biggest challenge for the woman was to accept that the shape and expression of her face had changed as a result of the accident. "It has nothing to do with being pretty or not, but rather with your own identity."

Within four months, Elbank met 17 people - in Australia, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Venezuela, the USA, Italy and the UK. Over the next two years, he plans to portray dozens of other men, women and children. Affected persons can contact him by email at scars@mrelbank.com.