Battle of Perryville

This is my second time covering the Battle of Perryville reenactment which took place this weekend. It was designated as the National Reenactment this year which meant that there would be thousands more reenactors than usual.

I covered Friday’s happenings so we could get something in the paper on Saturday, letting readers know about the event. I focused on the soldiers from both camps as they prepared for the next day’s battles. I also recorded some audio and put together an audio slideshow that night.

The photo above is of a group of ambrotypes drying on a rack. These photos were shot by Wendell Decker of Vintage Image Studios in Bowling Green (sorry, he doesn’t have a web site). He uses original wet plate technology to shoot photos of the reenactors on site.

Saturday morning I arrived at 6 a.m. to shoot the sunrise battle. It was a beautiful morning, with a setting, full, Harvest Moon. Some fog hung close to the ground. It was so dark, I couldn’t even see anything but I finally heard the cavalry moving across a field about 150 yards from me. Then, the most stunning thing happened. The spectators who had arrived to watch the battle began taking photos with their point and shoots. Flashes started firing along the rope line where the spectators were assembled. I set the camera at a slow shutter speed and took an educated guess at the focus. I had hoped that during the 1/2 second exposure that I might catch someone’s flash.

Canon 1DMkII
Lens (mm): 70-200 2.8
ISO: 1600
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/2

The battle soon began, and there wasn’t even a hint of sunrise. All I could see was the blaze of fire coming from the end of muskets. I couldn’t find anything to focus on, and the battlefield was soon filled with fog and smoke, making it even more difficult to see. Witnessing it in person was a sight to behold. Thousands of Union and Confederate soldiers, scores of horses, all facing off and shooting at each other in the predawn light. The sound was just as exhilarating as the scene.

I kept shooting as the sky began to lighten. Finally, the sun began to creep up over the trees. But almost as soon as the light hit the battlefield, the fighting stopped. My first frame was shot at 6:41 a.m. The final frame was at 8:14 a.m.

Visit Heraldleaderphoto.com to view a multimedia show from both days of shooting the Battle of Perryville.

Canon 1DMkII
Lens (mm): 24-70 2.8
ISO: 400
Aperture: 4.0
Shutter: 1/13

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