Portraits of WWII re-enactors

pentaxpete · May 15, 2017

Here are some portraits of WWII Re-enactors taken at the 'Temple at War' event, Cressing Temple Barns, Essex ( England) with my 1962 Rolleicord Vb + fill-in Flash from a Philips 25CB unit + 1993 outdated ORWO NP22 film which I processed in Promicrol 1+14 for 11 mins @ 20oC.

Temple at War 2017 by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

Temple at War 2017 by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
LENS is a 75mm f3.5 Xenar

Willyekerslike · May 15, 2017

Hi pentaxpete,
I really do enjoy looking at your work. The pictures above look as though they could have been taken on the set of a war film in the 40s or 50s when they knew how to handle Black and White. How you do it with your old film stock is amazing and a real treat for the rest of us to see.

Kino · May 15, 2017

Hey! Nice Eclair CM3 Camflex Motion picture camera in the first still, but it was first produced in 1947, so its a bit out of context there...

(Sorry to be a stick in the mud...)

Nice photos!

Thorpelyon · May 15, 2017

Brilliant work, Peter!

Molli · May 15, 2017

I commented in the TLR Users group, but am happy to see even more photos from the event here. I have to agree with Willyekerslike, you really know what you're doing in every aspect of the process from the taking to the developing. Wonderfully done!

Hatchetman · May 15, 2017

Hey Pete are you going to Tankfest down in Bovington?

BMbikerider · May 15, 2017

Just as nit picky, but the actor with the bandoliers of ammunition across each shoulder and the long barreled machine gun is also out of context. That is I think an M1 which did not come into regular use until well after the 2nd WW. That era would have used a .3 Browning, not the M1.

Willyekerslike · May 15, 2017

For information.

The Temple of War 2017 was covering the last 100 years of military history, not just WW2.

pentaxpete · May 16, 2017

That is why this soldier from the Crimea war (I believe) was showing off his rifles and bullets ---Konica VX400 Super in Pentax MZ-5 just processed.

Temple at War : Glorious Konica Colour! by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

dhkirby · May 16, 2017

The man with the crossed bandoliers is holding an M60 machine gun, which first entered service in 1957. Most famous for its heavy use in Vietnam, it is still in service today.

Great shots!

HiHoSilver · May 16, 2017

I have a difficult time w/ the subject matter. That said, your work with is seems excellent, Peter.

benjiboy · May 18, 2017

BMbikerider said:
Just as nit picky, but the actor with the bandoliers of ammunition across each shoulder and the long barreled machine gun is also out of context. That is I think an M1 which did not come into regular use until well after the 2nd WW. That era would have used a .3 Browning, not the M1.

It's a M60 7.62 mm cal. machine gun that was adopted by the U.S. military in 1958, in W.W11 it should have been a Browning .30 cal. machine gun.

benjiboy · May 18, 2017

pentaxpete said:
That is why this soldier from the Crimea war (I believe) was showing off his rifles and bullets ---Konica VX400 Super in Pentax MZ-5 just processed.

Temple at War : Glorious Konica Colour! by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

Not the Crimean War Pete much later more like the Zulu War. The rifle is a Martini- Henry .45 cal. used in the film Zulu.

AgX · May 18, 2017

HiHoSilver said:
I have a difficult time w/ the subject matter.

Me too. And I'm lucky not to have such around here.
The same time I watch movies/documentaries about wars. Well that is reenactment too. I'm seemingly contradicting myself...

pentaxpete · May 18, 2017

benjiboy : you must be a 'Weapon Enthusiast' to know all the technical details -- in was just guessing the period -- 'ZULU' is one of my favourite films -- I like Stanley Baxter and Michael Caine in it !

Sirius Glass · May 18, 2017

It always amazed me in the movie Zulu, that the Zulus, who fed themselves and their families based on their ability to kill prey with spears, could only land their spears in the backs of another Zulu.

benjiboy · May 18, 2017

pentaxpete said:
benjiboy : you must be a 'Weapon Enthusiast' to know all the technical details -- in was just guessing the period -- 'ZULU' is one of my favourite films -- I like Stanley Baxter and Michael Caine in it !

I'm a former Royal Marines small arms instructor

Prof_Pixel · May 18, 2017

dhkirby said:
The man with the crossed bandoliers is holding an M60 machine gun, which first entered service in 1957. Most famous for its heavy use in Vietnam, it is still in service today.

Great shots!

His uniform is Vietnam era as well so the gun is appropriate.

benjiboy · May 19, 2017

pentaxpete said:
That is why this soldier from the Crimea war (I believe) was showing off his rifles and bullets ---Konica VX400 Super in Pentax MZ-5 just processed.

Temple at War : Glorious Konica Colour! by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

Look at the size of the round he's holding a .45 rifle bullet like that would go through three men at a time, the Martini-Henry rifle was designed for fighting off human waves of charging drug crazed tribesmen in victorian colonial wars.
P.S. The crossed rifles marksman badge on his left sleeve means he can shoot a group of three rounds at a distance of 25 yards on a 9 inch square target that can be covered by a penny.

Svenedin · Mar 3, 2018

I like your first shot with the BBC reporter holding a Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta B. Slightly ironic that we were using German cameras but it is absolutely true that they were used because they were so good. That shot has a lovely 3-dimensional quality to it. I think you are very brave (and skilled) to take photos that matter on such expired film. I may take unimportant shots on expired film but I am not confident enough of the results to try it when I care about the results.

Nodda Duma · Mar 3, 2018

Nice photos. The rifles of the victorian era are a hoot to shoot, if you can find them in good shape and have the ability to reload for them.

E. von Hoegh · Mar 3, 2018

Nodda Duma said:
Nice photos. The rifles of the victorian era are a hoot to shoot, if you can find them in good shape and have the ability to reload for them.

Yes they are. I have a .450 Martini, also a late 1930s BSA heavy target rifle .22 rimfire, aka the "baby Martini". I guess a '98 Krag could be considered Victorian?

benjiboy · Mar 3, 2018

pentaxpete said:
Here are some portraits of WWII Re-enactors taken at the 'Temple at War' event, Cressing Temple Barns, Essex ( England) with my 1962 Rolleicord Vb + fill-in Flash from a Philips 25CB unit + 1993 outdated ORWO NP22 film which I processed in Promicrol 1+14 for 11 mins @ 20oC.

Temple at War 2017 by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

Temple at War 2017 by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

Temple at War 2017 by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

Temple at War 2017 by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

Temple at War 2017 by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
LENS is a 75mm f3.5 Xenar

This soldier despite the deaths head collar dogs on his uniform is not a member of the S.S, he's a tank lieutenant, and the badges on his chest are the tank assault badge and the wound badge.

Svenedin · Mar 3, 2018

E. von Hoegh said:
Yes they are. I have a .450 Martini, also a late 1930s BSA heavy target rifle .22 rimfire, aka the "baby Martini". I guess a '98 Krag could be considered Victorian?

Yes. Queen Victoria died in 1901

Nodda Duma · Mar 3, 2018

E. von Hoegh said:
Yes they are. I have a .450 Martini, also a late 1930s BSA heavy target rifle .22 rimfire, aka the "baby Martini". I guess a '98 Krag could be considered Victorian?

Swiss Vetterli, '73 Trapdoor, '96 Krag here. An old friend has a Martini Henry, one like it is on my short list.

Don't know why I've never shot a photo of them with my dry plates and plate camera.

Portraits of WWII re-enactors

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