Just a picture to share

[Nolaphoto1]

Just two versions of a the same picture...my Lee-Enfield No4 Mk1, with WWII era rucksack, gas mask sack, bandoleer, Brodie helmet, bayonet & scabbard, along with two stripper clips of .303 and some copies of the pre-invasion beachhead maps of Omaha East & West. Shot with a Canon 5dMKII, 24-70mm f2.8L, White Lightening 1600XL strobe fired into a 60" Westcott umbrella and 36"diameter bounce reflector, process in Adobe Photoshop and Color EFX Pro.

[Brisk44]

NICE collection...

[Nolaphoto1]

Thanks. One day I hope to be able to do a similar layout involving an M-1 Garand and US issue equipment.

[BlackEagle]

Very well done. I like the selection, coloration, and lighting. You could almost see movie credits scrolling up the picture...or as a backdrop in a museum display.

[dcriner]

I prefer the black & white version.

[Nolaphoto1]

Thanks guys. There's something I like about both. I don't get to fire this gun that often. It's hard to find the ammo locally. I usually end up buying it online. When I can find it locally, it's usually Remington 180gr. softpoint for hunting and it run's $40 a box. Online I can find the 180 gr FMJ for about $16. The gun shoots very well. If you can tolerate the steel buttplate you can hit steel bowling pins at 100yds all day. It shoots 2" high at 100yds just like the ballistics call for. The action is incredibly smooth. It's a fun gun. A friend of mine who was a 2nd Lt. in 10th Mountain Division, a "Ranger," and West Point grad, said of all the guns he had access to in the gun library at West Point and in active duty, this is his favorite. Before he deployed we went shooting at the local range and brought this gun along. Sadly, he was killed in combat in Afghanistan this past August.

[whymememe]

The photos look very professional. The gun and equipment is stunning. I'm sorry for your loss.

[Nolaphoto1]

Thanks "Whymememe." Tim was a great guy... an instant friend to anyone whom he'd met. I used to believe in the mission and always felt it should continue so that the deaths of so many of America's finest wouldn't be for naught. However, when the people of that region continue to prove their inability to co-exist in the modern world, I believe it is just time to get out. Enough about politics...

About the quality of the pics, first off thank you. I do some photo work on the side... of things that interest me. I've been into photography for 15 years or so. I would have preferred to set up an additional light to the left instead of using a bounce reflector but I didn't have the room without having to move some furniture. The difficult thing about dealing with digital photos is not making the photo but rather dealing with how it shows up on everyone's monitor. Each monitor is different and also calibrated differently. Look at the same image on 3 different monitors and you'll see differences among each of them. Brightness, contrast, black levels, warm tone, cool tone...each monitor presents a different view. Mine is calibrated twice a month with a device for digital photographers. The printing lab calibrates with the same tool. The problem is every viewer does not. :-)

[geds]

I'm partial to the sepia toned photo. Nice job on both!

[Nolaphoto1]

Thanks Geds. While I know it's not a Garand, an M1 carbine, or something rare, I think it's an absolute travesty that it's illegal for the common Brit to even own this. Why is it that a gun that was the standard issue battle rifle during the war that nearly bore witness to the fall of Britian, is collected in greater numbers by others in foreign countries than in it's nation of origin? I think that speaks volumes for the lunacy of the gun laws in the UK. I was reading a couple of articles on gun control and was totally shocked to learn that while London is hosting the 2012 games, special legislation had to be passed to allow for the shooting competitions. Furthermore, the British team itself is prohibited from even practicing in Britain. They must practice in Northern Ireland or Switzerland. And in an even greater act of lunacy, de-milled firearms and stage prop firearms used by reenactors must be licensed and registered with the authorities and as part of the process, the applicant must provide proof that he/she is part of an reenacting organization. Is this what we have to look forward to?

[BlackEagle]

It's a bolt-action rifle, so I believe it's legal to own over here. Semi-automatic center fire rifles are banned because some nut case went on the rampage down in England a few years ago and the knee-jerk government reaction was to outlaw anything semi-auto more powerful than a .22. Semi auto .22's abound over here. Long barrelled revolvers are ok; I've seen long barrelled semi-auto .22 pistols at the club, but because some nutter shot up a school in Dunblane, Scotland a few years ago the knee-jerks outlawed handguns. A lot of beautiful collections were destroyed. There is no Second Ammendment in this country. Now you can get them illegally in London, Glasgow, and other cities but legitimate ownership is out.

Norway is another place people can shoot handguns.

[Nolaphoto1]

BlackEagle,

It's a shame you must travel to a foreign country to participate in an activity, whether for sport or defense, because of government "feel good" laws. Relocate! Cross the pond! We welcome gun owners!

[BlackEagle]

Originally Posted by Nolaphoto1

BlackEagle,

It's a shame you must travel to a foreign country to participate in an activity, whether for sport or defense, because of government "feel good" laws. Relocate! Cross the pond! We welcome gun owners!

Thanks for the invite. Why I'm over here is a more complicated than I want to go into here, but I have dual nationality--US and UK. I have family in the US.