Vote For the April Cover of the AC

[Mcguire]

Re: Vote For the April Cover of the AC

Mr. Cooper, Groves, and Parent, so translated from Chinese all of this means "I'm Jealous".

No Chad, I think I made my feelings very plain in regards to this type of image. It's my opinion and I am entitled to it. Jealousy has no part in it. By the way my vote was for #3. I think these fellows have a great impression and the body language is very defiant.

[1stmd]

Re: Vote For the April Cover of the AC

Image 2 was taken at cedar creek last year by Szabo we were portraying the 22 Iowa . We were at Bellgrove talking to the public about the preservation of the battlefield and the quarry ordeal and walked over to the reenactment we saw the painted back drop and thought we all had on overcoats and not had a image of all of us together. When we had the image taken we thought it had the detail tucked in sack coat, pinky ring, hat brass , the back drop ,corps badges (that can’t be seen what a bummer) ,fife and ohh yeah young lean guys etc. We thought it had the details with out looking to staged or goofy

Thanks for the kind words
Tim Cole

[Cincinnati Rebel]

Re: Vote For the April Cover of the AC

If a few think it is "silly" to depict the sacrifice our ancestors paid, then I suppose those with that opinion think it is silly to take hits during reenactments. What kind of battle would that be?
One of my Confederate ancest0rs left an arm at II Manassas, and another was killed at Chickamauga. To walk a mile in their shoes as closely as possible, walk the ground they fought over, recreate a portion of their battles for the education of ourselves and the public, and cause people to remember their sacrifice through a photograph is a thing of meaning and honor.

[Rebelkid01]

Re: Vote For the April Cover of the AC

My vote goes to Image #3

[Swag]

Re: Vote For the April Cover of the AC

I must say image one does it for me. It captures the carnage of war so well, not to mention the hue and balance of black, gray, and white (because no black and white image is every really black and white) are just perfect; at least in my opinion. Also the composition of the piece works well with the objects with in it. Although the rest are very nice, I am partial to Number one.

[rebjeb04]

Re: Vote For the April Cover of the AC

Image #1 is probably the most acurate if not only mock after battle death scene ever recreated. I think the limits on authenticity have went too far, and the image is a little distasteful. My two cents only, but I is one of the most realistic repop images I have ever seen.

I voted for #3, but #2 ran a close second for me.

[rebelfirefighter07]

Re: Vote For the April Cover of the AC

Everybody on here wants to accurately portray every aspect of the war and get it perfect. Theres no denying that fact, look at the hundreds of posts on this forum. Images #2 and #3 are both clean. The men look all cleaned up and ready to have their picture taken. That can be seen in some original period pictures so that is good. On the other hand this clean look doesn't show or tell the whole story of the day to day life that these men lived through during the war. Day to day was muddy, dirty, bloody, filled with hunger and sickness. It wasn't all smiles, it was war. I know yall are gonna say that we can't portray all that. Its true we ain't gonna get all that and don't want to from a weekend event but we need to give the public an honest depiction of what it was like. Clean well groomed men standing gallently in straight lines has all that Gone With The Wind romantic appeal and thats what the general public thinks it was like. In all reality it was terrible, young men died and there wasn't too dang much romance about it when it got down to it.
Image #1 shows that dirty side of the war which was all too apparent all over the place. It looks like it fell out of the pages of a history book. I believe it is the perfect image to show the public what the real boys of the 60's saw and lived thru and it pays tribute to the ones who would lose their lives. I would like to think if I had been there that I would want my ggg-grand children to know the truth about what me and my pards had went through instead of some Gone With The Wind ideas. This hobby needs to educate about all sides of this hobby, the clean and the dirty.
All were great images but I gotta go with #1.

“Damn such nonsense. War means fightin’ and fightin means killin. Turn the grindstone.” Nathan Bedford Forrest

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Vote For the April Cover of the AC

Hallo!

IMHO, anyone can like something different.

And that is why there is a vote, and a chance to explain why someone liked or did not like a submission.

I usually, rarely, get involved in the "process" as my "likes" can be different than the majority in that over the years a number of images that could "pass" for CW images lose- while others that appear more like modern reenactor images taken (with great skill) by photographers using Period cameras and developing, win.

And, of course, that revolves around to whether the goal or purpose is to take an image that "passes" for an actual CW image or to celebrate the art and craft of the photographer researching and using Period cameras and processing methods to take images that are "like" CW images but "noticeably" of modern lads.

Not saying one "like" is superior or better than the next lad's, just that...

Others' mileage will vary...

And some daze, it just seems that if it is Civil War reenacting, we would not be happy unless we are fighting over something...

;) :)

Curt

[Spinster]

Re: Vote For the April Cover of the AC

1. We couldn't help the grass. If I remember correctly that is part of the original battlefield. Besides, i've seen images rejected on here before because the grass was "too previously cut and looked too neat" or the hedges were "too recently and neatly trimmed" in the background. ............
2. The grass was not battered down because we were not in the main infantry unit. We were a small skirmish party that got to close to an artillery piece..............
Don't get me wrong...i'm not pushing the argument...just trying to show everyone the background thinking of the photo...maybe Mr. Decker can shine some light on the images he had in mind when he set this one up for us.

To my undestanding, Wendall is gone this weekend, with a right interesting approach to the images he hopes to strike. I'll look forward to seeing that new aspect in the composition. As he does not hang out on line much, I'll offer this:

I bet he did have something in mind when choosing to make that image in long grass.

When the attached image was made, Wendall spent a good bit of time setting it up. He had us pull grass in some places, and bury long clumps in others, in order to make the area look less like a place that had been groomed with a dozer a week before. When an opportunity arises to make a unique image, Wendall Decker takes the time to stage it, based on his vast knowledge of period images.

[DougCooper]

Re: Vote For the April Cover of the AC

Hallo!

...And, of course, that revolves around to whether the goal or purpose is to take an image that "passes" for an actual CW image or to celebrate the art and craft of the photographer researching and using Period cameras and processing methods to take images that are "like" CW images but "noticeably" of modern lads...

Curt

Some clarification is warranted as some folks seemed to have missed my point, and those of others about #1. I am not offended Luke and the guys took the photo. I am disturbed that it is being considered by the AC in this photo contest for worldwide web dissemination. Said another way, would any of you who have comrades who made the ultimate sacrifice in modern times for their country (like many of us) want to see a sham photos of the dead from Iraq or Afghanistan some day? I can't look upon the photos of dead soldiers of any war with anything other than sadness and great respect.

In my opinion sham death photos do not honor or educate in any way, and as the photos of the real dead show, cannot duplicate the horror and sadness of these real images...so a sham death photo fails in that measure.

The original sham death photos from Manassas and Gettysburg were in all likelihood taken to make money or as a lark, not for educational or commemorative reasons.

Indeed, nothing we will ever present in this contest has real educational value - leave that to the original photos.

If the intent here is to celebrate the art of the period photographer, then you have an argument for this photo. I just think in this case that it is a subject best left alone.

As to the "jealous" comment...decorum prevents a proper response.

[Hardtack Herring]

Re: Vote For the April Cover of the AC

Image 2 and 3 have the same backdrop. I just thought I would point that out, not that it matters.

I like all 3 images. It is hard to decide.

[Micah Trent]

Re: Vote For the April Cover of the AC

Image #1 is a photo that Wendell had been thinking several years about doing. I have heard him talk it up several times. I am glad that he finally got the opportunity to do so. Wether one likes it or not, it is a rare piece of photography that was well done.

[Eric Tipton]

Re: Vote For the April Cover of the AC

Congratulations to Chad Wrinn for his Wendall Decker submission. While I know that there was some heavy discussion about this type of image, we have not had one of these on the cover before. It is my opinion that there is no reason for a proliferation of death images, but it is obvious that some time was spent on this one for accuracy and for effect. If the aim is to create images that are realistic, then I think this one well-deserves it's spot on the cover this month.

Thanks to all who submitted this month. We will ask for images again on April 20th for the May cover.

This thread is officially closed.