Union Soldier

The_Traveler · Oct 18, 2014

Went to the 150th Anniversary reenactment of Battle of Cedar Creek and Belle Grove. (the history in the pamphlet is well worth reading at this link.)

Many, many reenactors and onlookers (I mean many, probably in the thousands). People from as far as Georgia and Michigan.
My intent was to get some pictures that suggested the hard life of a common soldier. Although there was great access, in comparison to the pictures of the day, these people were way too happy and healthy.

Lots of documentary shots.
Great experience, well worth the drive.
I stood with a great busload of tourists from Great Britain who were on a Civil War battlefields tour for two weeks.

So far, this is the only shot that I liked much.
The original just looked too normal.

oldhippy · Oct 18, 2014

Lew. I like the first pic better. Looks more like the period. Ed

The_Traveler · Oct 18, 2014

thanks, Ed.
Everyone looked too well fed

Nevermore1 · Oct 18, 2014

I love the first one as well! Never been to one of the reenactments but would love to one day. I just don't like the huge crowds.

imagemaker46 · Oct 18, 2014

First one is way better. Great job on it.

The_Traveler · Oct 18, 2014

Nevermore1 said:
I love the first one as well! Never been to one of the reenactments but would love to one day. I just don't like the huge crowds.

Yes, the crowds are annoying but ot is sort of heart warming that so many people are interested.

imagemaker46 said:
First one is way better. Great job on it.

We had an assignment from our local Camera Club to shoot documentary but 'real' pictures just didn't fit. Everyone looked too healthy and happy and the uniforms were too clean.
I'm going to end up editing about 40 of them into a period look.

JoeW · Oct 18, 2014

The_Traveler said:
Nevermore1 said:

I love the first one as well! Never been to one of the reenactments but would love to one day. I just don't like the huge crowds.

Click to expand...

Yes, the crowds are annoying but ot is sort of heart warming that so many people are interested.

imagemaker46 said:

First one is way better. Great job on it.

Click to expand...

We had an assignment from our local Camera Club to shoot documentary but 'real' pictures just didn't fit. Everyone looked too healthy and happy and the uniforms were too clean.
I'm going to end up editing about 40 of them into a period look.

Thanks for sharing. Lovely head shot of the Union soldier--nicely done.

Totally agree about the "health" of most reenactors. Many of them are quite overweight--you rarely see any that are skinny. Looking forward to seeing the other edits.

Fred Berg · Oct 19, 2014

I'm not American so perhaps I lack the emotional connection, however I prefer the original. The sepia seems forced and doesn't resemble, in my view, anything authentic from that period.

Light Guru · Oct 19, 2014

I like the idea of using a sepia tone but I think the sepia tone you used is a bit heavy.

shefjr · Oct 19, 2014

I like the first one as well Lew. I wonder if adding some noise to the image or maybe softening it just a little might make it look a little more authentic.

annamaria · Oct 19, 2014

I like the sepia tones of the first one Lew

BillM · Oct 19, 2014

I like the sepia, beautiful shot. And I agree with adding a little grain, it could help with the period look ?

I shot a small reenactment last year. Trying to keep modern items out of the shots was a challenge and the soldier with the NASCAR t-shirt, he was an issue :biglaugh:

JoeW · Oct 19, 2014

BillM said:
I like the sepia, beautiful shot. And I agree with adding a little grain, it could help with the period look ?

I shot a small reenactment last year. Trying to keep modern items out of the shots was a challenge and the soldier with the NASCAR t-shirt, he was an issue

Yeah, sometimes those can make for humorous shots. I got one of a great Confederate re-enactor at Monocacy...wiry beard, scarecrow thin, pretty authentic gear, and during his lunch break he was drinking from a can of Coke!

bribrius · Oct 19, 2014

the subjects suffer from much the same fate as the photo. Too clean and well fed.

photoguy99 · Oct 19, 2014

While sepia is accepted as moden shorthand for 'old time feel,' contemporary photography would have been neither grainy nor particularly sepia toned.

This is not intended as a criticism of either the photo or the treatment. Just a statement of some historical facts.