A Step Back in Time: Civil War Portraits
Josh Hemmert poses for a portrait at the Civil War Living History weekend at Soldier Hollow on Saturday, September 29, 2012.
Jamin Merton, left, and Amanda Jones, right, pose for portraits at the Civil War Living History weekend at Soldier Hollow on Saturday, September 29, 2012.
Alan Lerwick, left, and Carter Lovinggood, right, pose for portraits at the Civil War Living History weekend at Soldier Hollow on Saturday, September 29, 2012.
Reenactors pose for a portrait during the Civil War Living History weekend at Soldier Hollow on Saturday, September 29, 2012.
When the assignment came in to cover last Saturday’s Civil War reenactment at Soldier Hollow, the vision of participants clad in period-specific clothing immediately snapped into my mind. While we needed the photos of live action from the battle reenactment, I knew that I wanted to set aside some of the day to make some portraits of the reenactors. My only question going in was how to best make the persona of each reenactor shine in each of the portraits.
My first thoughts brought to mind the portable northern light studios that I had seen other photographers use, which uses white fabric to block and soften strong sunlight. The assignment was scheduled during the high noon sun, which normally casts harsh shadows on the subject. Luckily, Saturday was somewhat overcast, and the light was much simpler to shape and work with. Instead of constructing a portable fabric studio, I was able to shoot the portraits in the open air with an easy-to-assemble, two-light set up, one in front through a white umbrella and one behind to provide a backlight.
From there, the rest of the work came easily. I politely asked several people in outfit if they would mind standing in for a portrait, and their personas carried the rest.
As I made a portrait of the medicine salesman and whiskey peddler Josh Hemmert, he asked me to pause for a moment as he adjusted his posture. He tilted his straw top hat and donned a slight, knowing grin. The photo gained a magical air, and I snapped the frame.