Parachute Regiment Re-Enactor

[Shaun Haselden]

Shot back in 2006 in Pickering, North Yorkshire, this is a re-enactor at the town yearly 1940's weekend. Based on the train station this event used to be a definite 'not to miss' event but nowadays has gone crazy through health and safety. This photograph was taken using my then Hasselblad 500CM with standard 80mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss lens with no filter. Film was Fuji Acros 100 rated at ISO 80.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Great shot, Shaun. Arco is getting increasingly hard to find, but worth the hunt judging by this portrait. He does look a little self conscious, probably wondering about the crazed guy taking the shot I like it a lot. The tonality, the direct to lens stare. It has presence.

 

[Shaun Haselden]

Thank you Rob. Back when this was taken I'd guess the guy was about 20 years old so quite young and he didn't have a lot of experience having shots taken of him. After the composition and focusing was done I just asked him to stare straight into the lens as this would give him a much stronger, more powerful look. A couple of years later I encountered him again and took a few more shots and believe it or not, he remembered the 'staring into the lens' look. Regarding stuff like tonality, I loved Fuji Acros for that. It produced some of the smoothest mid tones I have ever seen especially on medium format. If only it had been on sheet whilst I was messing with that format.

 

[Pete Askew]

Works for me, and I like the slightly self-conscious look he has. I think it suits the image well.