ome people wish they could see the future, but I get my vision from the past. As a photographer, I have admired and studied the documentary style of famous photojournalist suchas Dorthea Lange, Robert Capa, W. Eugene Smith and Sabastio Salgado. As a historian, I havealways considered the American Civil War to be a pivotal time in our nations history. It was a period that defined the direction and goals of our country as the world's leading democracy.
In 1990, I found a way to combine these two interests when I began a project of documenting reenactors portraying the Civil War. As a photojournalist, I saw this as a chance to capture a long gone era on film in a realistic manner. Photography was in its infancy at the time of the Civil War, and technical limitations, including long exposures, made actual photographs of the time seem stiff, inert and outdated. Modern photographic equipment can literally capture the blink of an eye. It creates a sense of intimacy and intensity, allowing the viewer to experience the world through the eyes of the photographer. Modern equipment also allows the photographer greater mobility, allowing him to become part of the action and capture the unposed moments of his subjects.
By dressing as a reenactor, living in the camps and carrying my cameras in a haversack, I found a way to create images from an insiders point of view, thereby giving viewers an opportunity to step back in time and enjoy a sense of being there.
But I also wanted the photographs to have a feel of the 1860's. To accomplish this, I shot only in black and white and then hand colored the images in a style similar to 19th century photography. This helps the draw the viewer into the time period so they can visualize history on a more personal level and see the past as a compilation of individual human lives rather than a series of dates and events.
This project resulted in the publication of my book The Civil War Soldier - A Photographic Journey, in July 2000, as well as a traveling gallery exhibit. However, visual images alone cannot portray the entire story. I wanted my book to encourage the reader to understand the Civil War soldier as a fellow individual. By including first person accounts from soldiers diaries, letters and memoirs, the war can be seen through their eyes and personalize their experiences. Through these antiquated words and modern images of the common soldier, we can see ourselves and, at the same time, gain a better view of our past.
In 1990, I found a way to combine these two interests when I began a project of documenting reenactors portraying the Civil War. As a photojournalist, I saw this as a chance to capture a long gone era on film in a realistic manner. Photography was in its infancy at the time of the Civil War, and technical limitations, including long exposures, made actual photographs of the time seem stiff, inert and outdated. Modern photographic equipment can literally capture the blink of an eye. It creates a sense of intimacy and intensity, allowing the viewer to experience the world through the eyes of the photographer. Modern equipment also allows the photographer greater mobility, allowing him to become part of the action and capture the unposed moments of his subjects.
By dressing as a reenactor, living in the camps and carrying my cameras in a haversack, I found a way to create images from an insiders point of view, thereby giving viewers an opportunity to step back in time and enjoy a sense of being there.
But I also wanted the photographs to have a feel of the 1860's. To accomplish this, I shot only in black and white and then hand colored the images in a style similar to 19th century photography. This helps the draw the viewer into the time period so they can visualize history on a more personal level and see the past as a compilation of individual human lives rather than a series of dates and events.
This project resulted in the publication of my book The Civil War Soldier - A Photographic Journey, in July 2000, as well as a traveling gallery exhibit. However, visual images alone cannot portray the entire story. I wanted my book to encourage the reader to understand the Civil War soldier as a fellow individual. By including first person accounts from soldiers diaries, letters and memoirs, the war can be seen through their eyes and personalize their experiences. Through these antiquated words and modern images of the common soldier, we can see ourselves and, at the same time, gain a better view of our past.
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