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WEDNESDAY'S UPDATE - AUTHENTICITY

7/13/2010

6 Comments

 
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In Wednesday's email UPDATE I am going to talk a little bit about this book, WARGAMES by Jenny Thompson. I personally cannot say enough about this book. If you read and enjoyed CONFEDERATES IN THE ATTIC, you will find this to be a very good read as well as it looks at the world of the Modern War Reenactor.

My premise in the email UPDATE is that reenactors and 1:6th modelers share something in common, the desire to strive for Authenticity, not just in their impression or their figures, but Authenticity in their photos. Think about it. We will do just about anything to make our little guys look real and reenactors  try incredibly hard to have period-authentic photographs of their events. Here are five examples of reenactment photos from an event that I was part of at Ft. Carson Colorado. The first four pictures are in black and white and have had some tinting and noise added. See what you think.
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The last reenactment photo is in color, but it has been done in the style of 1940's color photography and is intended to look washed out. This is me, sitting in a tree line watching two GIs in a draw below the ridge that I am on. Let's here it for camouflage, they never saw me and I had two more kills.
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I know I work just as hard trying to make my little guys seem real. I remove backgrounds, I add backgrounds. I mess with the color, the hue, the brightness and contrast, I use filters and anything else I can think of to try to achieve realism. It doesn't seem all that different to me. We want to fool people into believing they are looking at the real thing. A little harder with vinyl men, but we still try.
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So tell me what you think. Read the email UPDATE and then post a comment. I would like to hear if you think I am off my nut, or if you agree. What are some of the techniques you typically use? Inquiring minds want to know. That's all for this time, until next time, have a good one!
6 Comments
MadDogCPL
7/13/2010 01:56:22 pm

Great topic Mike!
I would love to be a reenactor.
Even though I was in the US infantry I would want to be a German soldier.
Nice pictures.
Shawn.

Reply
Panzercommander (HOH)
7/13/2010 05:26:27 pm

First of all - I'm going to beat the stitch Nazis to the punch and say that photo number two looks historically inaccurate because of the chain link fence and barbed wire at the top - HEHEHE!

Just kidding! Great photos Point Man!

I absolutely agree with what you are saying (and I want to borrow the book so I can read it!)

I personally cannot stress enough the importance of research for a figure or vehicle project! Buy books, buy LOTS of them! The internet can be VERY useful for research but it can be VERY misleading at the same time as you don't need to have any verification to post an opinion online.

Good reference materials ARE a HUGE game changer! They can take "a group of Kraut infantry" and turn it into "a squad of German infantry, ____ Infantry Regiment, On the road to/retreating from ___________" (fill in the blanks as the research informs you) - basically, they can turn non-descript action figures into an actual recreation of history should you choose to take that step.


Photo techniques:

Three major things for accurate 1:6th photos:

1. Lay down on the ground! Film the figures from the figure's point of view - this turns a photo of a group of figures into something and not just "a group of Joes in backyard combat."

2. If you aren't editing your photos after you take them with software like Photoshop, etc. then be conscious of what you are shooting. Take extremely tight, close up photos using the figure(s) bodies to block out of scale items in the background.

3. Think about how your body would look in the position you are posing the figure in and try to replicate it! Many times you will see a figure posted on the boards that looks great but someone didn't take the extra time to adjust one or two things in the figure's posture and it blows the photo. (Incidentally, this is why it takes me forever to set up for a display or a photo shoot, as I'm always trying to get the perfect pose but I'm held back by the medium I'm working with.)

P.S. - I'll probably come up with something else after we get the e-mail as well.

Reply
Panzercommander (HOH)
7/14/2010 01:14:35 am

« Joyeux Quatorze Juillet ! » (Happy Bastille Day!)

"Yeah, I want others to think my stuff looks good when I post it on the internet, but honestly, I have certain standards for myself that I am always trying to raise and the people’s opinions that I really care about are yours."

I think this quote that I took from your e-mail update this morning Point Man pretty much sums it up for both reenactors and many 1:6th collectors. I know it is something I strive for when I go to kitbash a figure and I'm sure if I reenacted I would strive for the same.

The majority of people that look at figures and vehicles don't know this from that - so they can't pick anything apart like a stitch Nazi would, they can discern the sides in the battle, but little else - so it definitely is a matter of personal standards and, if you are posting on the internet, a public reflection of your standards that you will either be lauded for or criticized for depending on who comments and what their personal opinions are...

Good topic!

Reply
okimbored
7/14/2010 10:29:48 am

good topic and update. I'm a bit torn here though. With my LWFD troops I bought the books and did all 30ish troops as best as budget would allow.

with the western, I really do prefer the Hollywood west over history. while I want my figures to look as good as possible I'm mainly using the TV for research these days.

BTW, SCORE!! I went with the wife to the VA today and we stopped at a resale/antique shop on the way home. I found two items I'm pretty pleased with one is a Barbie Ferrari (red) $10 the other i'm going to keep under wraps for a bit hehe

Reply
okimbored
7/14/2010 10:41:07 am

I suppose I should mention the topic a bit too lol. most of you have seen pics of my "war room" somewhere along the line, weather here is just anti 1/6th so it's really my best option I wish I had more opportunity for outdoor pics, but I think I've done all I could with what I have available indoors.

currently I'm working on the wife to repaint the walls for me into monument vally. that combined with my facades should give a pretty good feel for the outdoors old west.

Now all I need is to get sewing lol, actually I may have found someone to sew customs for me but I'll have to do a bit more work on that before I have any results, she's currently selling her customs for $2 a dress, if I can get her some good patterns to work from without jacking the price on me I'll be a happy guy lol

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Chanel Replica Watches link
1/14/2011 04:33:42 pm

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