took cameraclickers advise and became a war photographer

[jermyster]

i decided to take cameraclicker’s advice and became a war photographer.  i’m still new to photography and have lots to learn, but i went ahead and enlisted in the union army, later went over to the confederates, because i wanted to add drama to my death.

i got to practice with shooting with a camera in one hand and a rifle in another.

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/67191897@N07/10783828826/&#8221; title=”_MG_9321 by spacefrogg5, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7302/10783828826_97513d2e05_n.jpg&#8221; width=”320″ height=”235″ alt=”_MG_9321″></a>

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/67191897@N07/10783814876/&#8221; title=”_MG_9787 by spacefrogg5, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2808/10783814876_0b445b0dfa_n.jpg&#8221; width=”320″ height=”178″ alt=”_MG_9787″></a>

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/67191897@N07/10783680494/&#8221; title=”DSCF9721-2 by spacefrogg5, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7454/10783680494_e04425b64b_n.jpg&#8221; width=”320″ height=”179″ alt=”DSCF9721-2″></a>

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/67191897@N07/10783628406/&#8221; title=”_MG_9761 by spacefrogg5, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3830/10783628406_5866189190_n.jpg&#8221; width=”320″ height=”233″ alt=”_MG_9761″></a>

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/67191897@N07/10783642396/&#8221; title=”_MG_9640 by spacefrogg5, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7448/10783642396_fb8e239e9e_n.jpg&#8221; width=”320″ height=”181″ alt=”_MG_9640″></a>

 

[nesgran]

You know what, I really like them. I’m usually not a fan of excessive grain in the shots but I think it works for these. There’s one or two I would have culled like the man with the horse face and the one with the soldier with two horses that are a bit soft. I like this however

Nitpick would be to aim for a more consistent amount of grain and a more consistent contrast (the B&W version of consistent colour temp)

[cameraclicker]

The links don’t work for me, but I think these are them:

Seems like focus was shallow and at his ear instead of his eyes?

Probably not the best.  It’s sharp, but you only really see one face, everyone is looking away, there is no real focal point.

Good portrait

Another good portrait

Very cool!

This is great! The guy on the horse is signalling,  and everyone is looking the opposite direction.

Smoke and fire!  Bet this would look good in colour too!  Did you shoot raw?  I would love to see this in colour.

Really like this one!

I think the B&W really suits the set because of the subject matter.  If you shot these in raw, try converting to sepia, too.  These are really good.  I enjoyed looking at them.

[jermyster]

thanks nesgran

thanks cameraclicker, ya, i shot in raw and all of them are in color.  the one that was out of focus, is actually me.  i gave my camera to a friend to take my photo and as always when you give your camera to someone (non photography friends), they usually mess up the shot.  Story – i told my friends i enlisted and i was getting tons of text messages telling me to be safe and the were going to give me a send off party…so sent them a photo of me in the union army… haha everyone thought i really joined the real military.  wasnt meant to be posted and more of a gag photo for my friends.

“It’s sharp, but you only really see one face, everyone is looking away, there is no real focal point.”  < —thanks you for this advice, i will definately remember that at the next shoot.

and photo of the guy signaling, i saw it in the view finder and thought it was pretty funny too.  he actually kept signaling, but no one listened.

since i’m a beginner and only looking to get better, any advice or critiquing is extremely helpful…

keep in mind, i’m running and being fired upon by fake bullets…ahhh the carnage…they wouldnt even let me say noooooooo when my friend faked died on the battlefield.

i added more, but this so far is my favorite…

[jermyster]

@ nesgran.

aim for a more consistent amount of grain and a more consistent contrast <– not sure, how to do this…please advise, thanks.  also unsure what consistent contrast is.  like the background and foreground?

[Worst Case Scenario]

I like them, but they do look like the were taken at a re enactment. Everything is to clean and some of the soldiers are smiling.

I like this one best

it kind of reminds me of this, which I’d say is one of the best war images ever.

http://www.anglonautes.com/history/hist_us_20_ww2_pacific/hist_us_20_ww2_pic_iwo_jima_1945_explosion_soldiers.jpg

[mikoyan29]

Those are very cool looking pictures.

[jermyster]

thanks guys, yes it was taken at a re enactment.  it was super fun and was invaded by star trek nerds claiming to explore time and also the rennassance fair people.  funniest part were civil war actors, star trek, and ren fair people tried their best not to break character.

[Dudley]

To all those ‘fine art’ critics whose sensitivity requires an ‘in your face’ subject…I would remind them that even in Matthew Brady’s time the subject was ALWAYS the war.  Most times there was a subject that maybe illustrated an aspect of war, but it was the effects, and events that were important.

 

So to the OP remember you are in a reenactment of a war over 150 years ago, there are no rules in combat, and there were no rules for photography back then….just shoot, and ask questions later!

😉

 

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