Vietnam Shoot

As portrait sessions go, it is safe to say that this one was truly unique. Picture the scene, three photographers and one 'American' Vietnam War era private in a dense and sometimes flooded woodland creating scenes from a far off war zone. 

But this was 2019 & the 'American' was in fact a serving British soldier who happened to be a historical re-enactor in his spare time, and the dense woodland was in fact Hell Wath, a local beauty spot on the outer fringes of Ripon. 

Now, how did I end up in the middle of this scenario I hear you ask?

Well that is a story in itself and started with a cryptic post of Facebook requesting local photographers to help with an historical project. Intrigue got the better of me and alongside a colleague, we headed up to the woodland as requested on a sunny but cool April evening. 

 The scene that greeted us upon arrival was one that would not have looked out of place back in the dense Vietnamese jungles of the 1960's. Crouched behind an ivy covered log was our client, kitted out from head to toe in the same uniform that a junior private would have worn during the Vietnam war and operating his field radio.

What followed proved to be a very bizarre introduction with Mike introducing himself with a mid-western American accent before tailing off to one more found in the green and open fields of Eastern Lincolnshire.

The images in this gallery were taken to help Mike promote his re-enactment activities.

Thanks go to Mike Charman for the opportunity to learn more about the Vietnam war and to capture these unusual images.