Working through the backlog

[pecunium]

It's a truism among photographers that we are always behind on working the images we've taken. For some (wedding photographers), this can be a real problem (I know some who are more than a year behind. One wonders how they stay in business).

Depending on how one measures such things, I am between a few months and a couple of years behind. I like to think of the really old stuff as fruit to be harvested later.

These are all from June.

At the "Secret City Festival" in Oak Ridge (I think it was titled to reflect the fact of a number of businesses existing, in what seems to be a pretty much non-town, as one passes through; or even lives there), a large part of the draw is the WW2 reenactors who have been putting on shows for the past few years. All the weapons are functional, and they spend huge amounts on equipage. One guy printed up boxes to look like K-rations; going to far as to wax coat them after he assembled them.

It's quite a production. They set up camp a couple of days before the event. Guys bring vehicles, and tentage. One hopes the mess isn't too authentic.

The Germans always lose.

Rushing


This one has the look it does because it wasn't supposed to look like this. I was taking a shot of the advancing tank (barely visible in the background, when the guy ran into the frame. He is out of focus, which makes it seem he is moving, just a little. It gives it a nice sense of action.

Let the Brass Fly


That's an MG-42. With a cyclic rate of 1,400 rounds per minute (slightly slower with blanks) it eats ammo. It was the sound of that opening up which got me, "marching to the sound of the guns." It's like no other machind gun I've every heard. In real life it would have roughly nine bullets in the barrel at the same time.

Last Stand


Last Stand, Old Style Color


I like the way the smoke has very different effect in these two. I tried for a 1940s German color in the second. I'm not completely satisfied.

Eternal


This one was just that, a classic. The fight was over, and he was catching his breath.

Last, but not least, a fruit.


Ornamental Strawberry


Now I shall grab a snack, and the camera, to cruise the wetlands near my door. Tonight I'll be watching, SFShakes do "A Comedy of Errors" in Cupertino. Show starts at 7:30, best to get seats about 6:30.

Comments

[maps-or-guitars.livejournal.com]

Really fine shots, there.

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

"Secret City" actually refers to Oak Ridge's origins -- the site was selected by the military for its remoteness and inaccessibility, it was built as an armed and guarded enclosure and not shown on maps, and until after WWII, the residents were very carefully vetted and equally careful to not talk about what they were doing on the rare occasions that they went off-site.

A sample conversation, as related by a speaker at an IAAP event a few years ago:

Knoxville resident: So, you from that place up the way?

OR resident: Yep.

Knoxville: What all's up there?

OR: Oh, you know.

Knoxville: You work there?

OR: Yep.

Knoxville: What do you make?

OR: About eighty-nine cents an hour.

[savorie.livejournal.com]

I love all of these.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Sure, that makes sense.

You can still see the machine gun nests at the guard posts. They were manned until the early '70s. There are huge numbers of barracks and WW2 military housing units around, most converted to apartments.

[athenais.livejournal.com]

The strawberry is a classic shot and nicely done. I like the running soldier a lot. Definitely improves what would otherwise be a static shot with no immediate context.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Me too. I think, of the shots I got, that one (which was really difficult to edit, because of the focal plane) is probably the best.

It would probably look good on canvas.

[soul-diaspora.livejournal.com]

These are awesome. I don't even know what words to use..."dynamic" maybe?

I think I find your people photos even more impressive than your nature photos, despite my bias towards the latter!

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

For all that it's hard to tell lately, I really like shooting people.

[harimad.livejournal.com]

That first pix is awesome. Every time I see a photo post I'm sorry that I don't have room for photos in my place. In lieu, I hereby offer to stand you a meal if you're in my neck of the woods. There's some photos I want to look at also. They're powerful and a bit scary and have a good story attached, and I haven't the faintest idea of what to do with them.

[sharon-masters.livejournal.com]

Well, ya missed a great oddball convention this weekend but those WWII reenactors are amazing!
Your style, you could slip those into someone;s vintage archives and they would never know........