By Jim Zuckerman
During the summer, there are many historical reenactments around the U.S. and they make exciting photographic subjects. In the East there are Revolutionary battles that are performed for audiences, and along the East Coast and in the rest of the country there are Civil War battles that are played out. The participants are avid history buffs who are usually very knowledgeable about every detail that goes into the recreation, from the uniforms to the strategy involved in the various military campaigns.
The key to photographing the battles is to be situated in the right vantage point. You will need a telephoto lens, preferably a zoom, and if you shoot in color as most of us do now, consider transforming these to black and white or sepia so they have a vintage look. Obviously no one photographed the Revolutionary War because cameras hadn’t been invented yet, but the Civil War was photographed only in black and white. Color images just don’t seem very realistic.
The pictures I’ve included here were taken in difference regions of the country. The vertical shots of a Confederate defensive line, a portrait of a Confederate soldier and a Union horseman were taken at Ft. Tejon, California, which is about one hour north of Los Angeles, while the horizontal picture was taken on the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Franklin in Tennessee. Ten thousand men participated in that battle.
Here is a listing of some of the battles around the country:
http://www.sutler.net/eventlist.asp





















