Photographer Michael Falco lives and shoots in the present tense, exposing thousands of digital images per week for a variety of assignments from editorial and institutional clients. Somewhere along the way he decided to try slowing down the cycle a bit and became immersed in pinhole photography. As a reader of Civil War history, he soon found himself immersed in a project of his own invention, The Civil War 150 Pinhole Project, for which he is photographing anniversary reenactments of major battles that took place between 1861 and 1865 to explore, in his words, “the ambiguity of time, history and memory” in visual terms. I caught up with Mike last week for this email Q&A:

Q: How did you come to photograph Civil War reenactments?

A: I do quite a bit of history reading and so, as the 150th anniversary of the Civil War approached, I decided to read the entire span of the war, a book for every major battle of the conflict. This was in 2009, and within a year and half I had read 30 to 40 books on the subject and tumbled, head-long, down the rabbit hole of Civil War history. My main desire after this was to visit each of the battlefields. My thought was: why not visit the battlefields on their respective anniversaries as the war’s timeline unfolds through 2015, and I’ll bring the pinhole camera, which at the time had become another obsession. 

It was on this first trip, to Manassas, Virginia, while touring the battlefield, that I met a group of reenactors. I had a nice chat with these gentlemen and decided to take their photo. When I returned home, I was struck by the way the pinhole camera rendered the reenactors, the soft focus making them anonymous in a sense, their uniforms placing them squarely within the period. When I placed this reenactor image alongside the battlefield images, the quiet, somber battlefield images seemed to come alive, the reenactors seemed to bring a period human element to these hallowed landscapes. My next battlefield visit was to Shiloh, in Tennessee, where I attended my first reenactment for the project as well as photographing the battlefield.

Slaughter Pen Farm, Fredericksburg Battlefield, Virginia, 2012.

Q: Why did you choose to shoot with a pinhole camera? Did you build a special pinhole camera for the Civil War project?

A: When The Civil War 150 Pinhole Project began in 2011, I had already been shooting with pinhole cameras for a number of years. I found that in my twenty plus years as a professional photographer, the pinhole camera seemed to capture the feeling of a place better than any other camera I had previously used. This I believe is due to the very rudimentary mechanics of the cameras. The light enters through a pinhole and is captured directly onto large format sheet film. There is no lens so the images tend to be soft but this lack of detail actually serves to capture the essence of the landscape. The fact that these cameras have no viewfinder (a challenge at first), has freed me, in a sense, and I find that I actually experience the subjects in a deeper way. After working with a couple of purchased pinhole cameras, I sought the assistance of my brother, Henry Falco, who aside from being a recording engineer, is a great woodworking artist. Henry, at my direction, began to build for me a whole family of cameras to fit my shooting needs. I now travel with six custom-made pinhole cameras in varying focal lengths and formats [view the cameras].

Reenactment of the Battle of Glendale in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, 2012.

Q: Can you describe how you handle exposed film in the field? Do you have a portable darkroom? 

A: I travel with a foldable, portable darkroom that allows me to change film in the field. In summer, to keep the film from over heating i’ll put the boxes of film in a water-tight bag in a cooler. Changing 4x5 film in the field is pretty simple but the 8x10 holders are really big and can be challenging. For example, during a reenactment at Gettysburg last July it was 117 degrees in the shade! Changing film in those kind of conditions can be trying.

Q: What kind of research did you do prior to starting the series? Have you made an extensive study of photography of the period?

A: As mentioned above I did a great deal of reading, and continue to study, and expand my library for this project. After photographing the reenactors at Manassas in 2011 (below), I became interested in the idea of the Civil War soldiers’ perspective of the battlefields, which are America’s few remaining unspoiled 19th century landscapes. I had studied the work of Mathew Brady, Alexander Gardner, and their contemporaries, but in this study I found that there was a giant visual void. For one thing, the battles themselves were never photographed because, among other issues, it was simply too dangerous. In addition, images from the 19th century were always shot in black and white and I wanted to see this “19th century landscape” in color. With the help of the pinhole camera, I tried to create a poetic, visual narrative of the War, a dreamscape; a place where the 19th century could come forward and reveal itself. I have always been fascinated with the idea that the “past is present.” As William Faulkner famously said, “the past is never dead, it’s not even past.”

Reenactors at Manassas Battlefield, Virginia 2011.

Q: Do many of the reenactors you’ve met create a character to play? Do they stay “in character” most of the time? 

A: Staying "in character” as a reenactor can be difficult today with cellphones and such but the reenactment groups that I have met try very hard to make these events as authentic as possible. Reenactment groups have their own rules and regulations when it comes to the impression they create. These rules and regulations require the men and women to dress the part, all the way down to the buttons, and to have their individual camps reflect the 19th century. For example, cooking is done on open fires and the reenactors sleep in period canvas tents. 

I’ve found that there are three types of reenactor out there. There are the hardcore, serious reenactors. These folks gravitate toward each other and, although they participate in scheduled reenactments, they also form their own groups and hold reenactments that are not open to the public. Next are the mid level reenactors, weekend historical warriors, a large and dedicated group that are generally very well read on the subject. And then you have what are called “Farbs.” These are the guys who show up at a reenactments dressed as, say, Robert E. Lee, but wearing a plastic uniform. 

Q: As a photographer embedded with the troops, what went into coming up with your own wardrobe? 

A: For the first reenactment I photographed, not knowing a thing about these events, I attended as a spectator. This was extremely frustrating and I immediately thought that I needed to become a reenactor to get the images I had in mind. I combed the World Wide Web and found “sutlers” out there, people who sell period civilian clothing. I didn’t want to take sides, so I took on the role of a 19th century photographer.

Q: How do you determine your position or location for photographing battle scenes? 

A: I find there is a ballet that goes on as the reenactment unfolds. Everything moves so quickly, it comes down to pure instinct. I will attach myself to a particular unit as they enter the battle and see where that takes me. Because the reenactments are pre-planned events, the officers of the opposing sides will meet before the battle to plan out the maneuvers - but it never goes entirely as planned.

Q: Even though the guns are firing blanks, there must be considerable dangers to contend with. What’s the closest call you’ve had?

A: I get yelled at a lot. As a photographer, you see stuff and you react and sometimes that takes you too close to a firing cannon or into a skirmish. The reenactors will also fix bayonets at times. The bayonet on the 19th century Enfield rifle is the dreaded, tri-cornered bayonet, the same bayonet that is banned by international law because of the hideous wounds it inflicts. Reenactors have accidentally been bayonetted at these events and modern EMS responders just shake their heads in disbelief. But the worst I’ve had to deal with so far are bug bites and ticks.

Q: I read that the Battle of Gettysburg reenactment this summer will involve over 15,000 reenactors, 400 horses, and thousands of civilian interpreters. Will you make special preparations in advance of the event? 

A: There are actually two 150th anniversary reenactments happening at Gettysburg this year. I am registered for both these events and attendance for these reenactments is expected to be record breaking. No special plans as of now. I will use the first reenactment at Gettysburg as a test. Because the reenactments are supposed to be so big, and the camps for the Confederate and Union reenactors will be miles apart, I may need to rent a horse to get around, who knows.

Q: How will your photographs be used by the Library of Congress to broaden popular awareness of these historic events? Is there a book in the works?

A: Yes, and to answer this question I’ll quote the Library: “The Library of Congress preserves the Nation's cultural artifacts and provides enduring access to them. The Library's traditional functions, acquiring, cataloging, preserving and serving collection materials of historical importance to the Congress and the American people to foster education and scholarship, extend to digital materials, including websites.”

I am currently seeking publishers for The Civil War 150 Pinhole Project, which follows the timeline of the American Civil War, and the Blog, continually being updated as the Civil War anniversaries unfold. The project will eventually conclude at Appomattox, Virginia in 2015. Michael Falco.