Time Travel With Your Camera!

[paulhillion]

If you were suddenly given the opportunity to travel back in time and spend a day with your camera which day would you choose? You can only take one camera body (if you're lucky enough to own more than one) and one lens from your bag. If say you're going back to the dark ages then you may take along a flash :-)

As I've started this I get to choose two moments from history.

Firstly I'd like to have been in Memphis on July 18th, 1953 to take some candid shots of the young Elvis Presley first walking into the Sun Records recording studio, to witness and record one of the most important events in rock and roll history. For this I'd have my 20D and the Canon 70-200 2.8L.

Secondly I'd like to travel back to the day of Jesus and his crucifixion. Again I'd have my 20D and the 70-200L. That day I imagine would result in the most important set of documentary photographs ever to be produced!

OK over to you....

[Harry Settle]

Elvis shots would be worth a bundle. Unfortunately you would never be able to authenticate the Jesus shots.

[Citizensmith]

If say you're going back to the dark ages then you may take along a flash :-)

Good, because it was probably really dark back then. If going to the bronze age you may want to bring a polarizer to handle all the reflections of things.

I was going to say all the way back to the big bang, but that sucker would be too hard to meter correctly. Instead, last tuesday would be good. There was a really pretty hummingbird in my back yard and I didn't get a decent shot of it.

[BEEEsH]

I'd probably say ancient Rome around the time of Nero or Constantine. Maybe even the hannible trecking through the alps with the war elephants.

All with my 300d, my kit lense because its all i have, a UV and a Polarizer filter.

[Ogrt48]

I wanna see dinos =)
Hopefully they dont eat me while I'm taking their pictures...

[Moppie]

Traveling with Darwin or Capt Cook would offer some very cool realistic opertunities.

For something a little more fantastical then going right back to the formation of the solar system would be literaly out of this world, imagine the colours!

[PhotosGuy]

Re Citizensmith's post: Something like that for me, too!

[dewmuw]

I'd go back to Roswell and get some shots of that UFO coming down! :)

[vcutag]

I'd probably go back with my 300D & Tamron 28-75 to get the real scoop on the whole "crossing the Delaware" thing with Washington. I have a hunch that painting's a bit overdramatized. ;-)

[BearSummer]

Wow good question, hmmmm,

I would like to go back and photograph the 24 hours leading up to the mass dinosaur extinction, so some night shots of the comet/meteor the night before and the last day. I would take my 1ds, lots of cf cards and a would trade my extra flash for a tripod and a shutter release cable.

BearSummer

[FlyingPete]

I would like to go back and photograph the 24 hours leading up to the mass dinosaur extinction, so some night shots of the comet/meteor the night before and the last day. I would take my 1ds, lots of cf cards and a would trade my extra flash for a tripod and a shutter release cable.

You would want to time that carefully, I know the 1DS is shower proof, but I don't think they meant a meteor shower :D

I'm for covering the Taupo Volcanic Euruption around 2000 years ago, wouldn't want to be too close though, as it was down here in NZ, but was 'seen' in Rome! As for gear my 20D and the 17-40L (OK I don't have that yet!)

[ChristopherMartin]

Just a question, am I invisiable while I am taking pictures? Cause it might be hard to take pictures of people who never seen a camera before, never mind a pair of jeans, rubber shoes and my wrist watch. ;)

I guess, Moses parting the red sea would be neat, although who ever is allowing me to pass through time had better know the exact date cause I don't.

A war between Rome and the Scottish would be interesting but ah Ridly Scott can do that.

Jesus crucifixion would be cool, but again, I had better be invisible or there will be 4 people crucified on that day, instead of 3. Me being the 4th.

Write brothers would be cool to spend a day taking pictures of their first flight. So would Henry Ford building his engine. James Watt would be cool to, to see his first Steam Engine work. Graham Bell would also be pretty cool to take pictures of with his invention of the phone. Bill Gates as a nerd typing up MS DOS might be good too.

Then there is World War's to think about, I'd love to take pictures of WW1 English tanks and other weapons from that era (since most of it was destroyed for WWII).

This is probably the worst question you could ask a History buff, so unfair just one day. I will be thinking about this question for the next few days subconsiously and then I will probably come up with what I would want to do. :confused:

Great question by the way.

[ChristopherMartin]

Oh yeah and spending a day with Ansel Adams in the mountains would be interesting too. But he'd probably ask me more questions then I would ask him.

[Jemmind]

I'd probably say ancient Rome around the time of Nero or Constantine. Maybe even the hannible trecking through the alps with the war elephants.

All with my 300d, my kit lense because its all i have, a UV and a Polarizer filter.

Oh yes that would be awesome. I did a term paper in highschool about Nero.
Thalk about extravagant! Can you imagine his palace:
A 120 foot statue in the entrance way, many parts of the palace overlaid in gold, silver, gems, and mother of pearl; an large lake in the center; ceiling of ivory in the dining room and in which guests were sprinkled with flowers and perfume; the main dining area was a revolving rotunda. numerous frescos, mosiacs; abundant artwork; the grounds included pastures, wildlife, forest, vinyards....
That place must have been a sight to behold.


Julie

[timmyquest]

Two words...

Grassy Knoll

[Airedale1]

Two more words, Last Supper.

[chaitu]

Nero, ELVIS, dinos... cool. how about this? go back in time to the day you were born, may be to the time when your parents were going around, will make some really nice shots, i am sure they wont recognise you then!

[Turbowolf]

I'd either go back to a grassy knoll in Dallas or perhaps the Watergate Hotel on a certain evening...

[CyberDyneSystems]

One Word....

Trafalgar.


1D MkII and I guess .. christ one lens? I want my 100-400mm but I want wide too!

O-kay I'm sneeking the 28mm f/2.8 in my pocket :)

[DSMITH131]

I see a lot of used canon gear for sale half in jail half in a nut house for tring to pass the pictures off as real ok that said 24-70L the last 24 hours with Jesus

[paulhillion]

Two words...

Grassy Knoll
Well I've been to the grassy knoll and as you can see in the second photo below I managed to capture someone acting very suspiciously, who when later enlarged looked uncannily like my dear wife!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v116/hillion/Dallas01.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v116/hillion/Dallas02.jpg

And in answer to 'ChristopherMartin', for your time trip you will be allowed to carry on board an invisibility cloak to be used as and when required ;-)

[timmyquest]

haha

[roanjohn]

Last Supper - with my XT, 17-40 and 420 EX..............hopefully the ceilings are white so I can bounce the flash.......otherwise, I would probably bring my lumiquest pocket bouncer.

Jesus's Resurrection - I've seen enough photos of the crucifixion, I want to be just outside Jesus's tomb when he resurrected. I would take my XT with my 70-200 f2.8 L IS (a lens I don't have BTW). With this photo, then everybody would believe- IMAGINE THAT!!!

I would also go back to the time when I was shooting around the beach in Montauk. I would not bring any camera........I would just grab my 20D and lens before it hits the water...........:-p

OMG, I wish I could turn back time.

Ro1

[cjm]

Its not really a big historical event, but I'd love to go back in time and photograph all the Abby's and Castles of Britain when they were new and still used, instead of ruins. That would be pretty interesting. Then again I'd love to go an take pictures of all the ruins in present day Britian too.

[Curos]

Abraham Lincoln's assasination. Probably with the 20D I don't have yet, the 17-40mm I don't have yet (yeah, wide angle murder shot. Bam. I'd be in Abe's box.) and the 580EX I don't have yet. Seems like I have some shopping to do.

That, or I'd like some proof of Jesus. Some of his miracles, or resurrection or something. (guess who's been questioning their beliefs recently :-p )

[paulhillion]

Jesus's Resurrection - I've seen enough photos of the crucifixion
Where? I'm sure our Daily Sport newspaper here in the UK would be interested :-)

Seems photo opportunities of our Lord (that's Jesus not Elvis) are proving the most popular!

Thanks for all your replies, all this makes great day dreaming material.

[Moppie]

Seems photo opportunities of our Lord (that's Jesus not Elvis) are proving the most popular!



Poor bugger is going to be surouned by a virtual paprazzi of time travelers!


But if you want to shoot religeous icons why not some glammer shots of Adam and Eve? or the prophet mohamad? And don't forget buddah!
Of course if you want some really great religeous photos then forget the modern montheistic religions, think about a Apollos portrait, or some of the indian deitys would be cool.

[Citizensmith]

I want to be just outside Jesus's tomb when he resurrected. I would take my XT with my 70-200 f2.8 L IS (a lens I don't have BTW). With this photo, then everybody would believe- IMAGINE THAT!!!


So would I, but with a double-barrel shot gun. Anything that comes back from the dead is a zombie in my books. Just remember, aim for the head, its the only way to kill 'em.

Brraaaiiiiinnnnnnssssss............

[Andy_T]

Write brothers would be cool to spend a day taking pictures of their first flight. So would Henry Ford building his engine. James Watt would be cool to, to see his first Steam Engine work. Graham Bell would also be pretty cool to take pictures of with his invention of the phone. Bill Gates as a nerd typing up MS DOS might be good too.

Chris, I hope you don't want to say with that that you think Henry Ford invented the car or the combustion engine :shock:

Abraham Lincoln's assasination. Probably with the 20D I don't have yet, the 17-40mm I don't have yet (yeah, wide angle murder shot.

If you take the 70-200/2.8, you might knock the assassin out with it.
Plus, you might get some shots of the performance (If you set the ISO to 3200).

Maybe I'd go back to 1827 and show Joseph Niépce and Louis Daguerre what chimping is ... the expression on their faces might be priceless :lol:

Best regards,
Andy

[cjm]

Chris, I hope you don't want to say with that that you think Henry Ford invented the car or the combustion engine :shock:

He may not have invented but he perfected it enough to build an empire, he'd be an interesting guy to meet all the same.

Id also be interested to go back in time and photograph the Statue of Liberty be constructed or the Effile tower being constructed. That would be interesting, but it would have to be more then a day in order to do that. But even seeing that Statue of Liberty Bronze and to take a picture of it in that color would be amazing.

[aam1234]

He may not have invented but he perfected it enough to build an empire, he'd be an interesting guy to meet all the same.

Even though basics of internal combustion was around for some time (in labs), Mercedes was the first company that developed the technology and made autos from it. So basically Mercedes invented the car. What Ford did was using the production lines to make car production cheaper, thus accessible by the masses.