Nerf Battle Photos in the Style of a War Photographer

My wife, Courtney, recently threw a birthday party for our 6 year-old that was centered around an epic Nerf Battle. It turned into one of my favorite photo series I’ve done in a while!

How it started

In the beginning I was participating in the battle, but halfway through, I put down my rifle and grabbed my camera.

The first photo I went to take was of one of the combatants crouched in some tall grass. When I got close, photographing through the plants, it reminded me of photojournalism I’d seen from the war in Vietnam.

Then I noticed Nerf guns and foam bullets on the ground, which brought to mind weapons and casings I’ve seen photographed countless times during conflict. That’s what gave me the idea to approach photographing this Nerf battle like a war photographer.

I took inspiration from photographers like James Natchtwey, Christopher Morris, Catherine Leroy, Carol Guzy, Robert Capa, and Larry Burrows. I’ve seen their conflict photography so many times over the years, it’s seared into my memory.

See the inspiration photos at the bottom of this post.

War photographer style guide

Here’s the approach I used to photograph this Nerf battle like a war photographer.

First, all the photos have to be black & white. Black & white film was more affordable, more stable, and easier to process, so it was widely used in the film-only days.

Second, photos need to be mostly from a low angle. Photographers are crouching and hiding, staying close to the ground to stay safe.

Third, there is going to be frequent motion blur. Embrace it! Often, war photographers are running, ducking, sliding, and just generally moving quickly. Between this and not always having the ability to choose the best settings, war photography is often slightly blurry.

Fourth, a lot of the photos need to be taken through things like windows, doors, and openings in walls. Photographers are taking cover, so it’s common to find a safe position inside or behind something and then photograph what’s happening on the other side.

Finally, the photos need to be up close. War photographers are in close quarters with their subjects. Photographing from that physical proximity allows viewers to feel close when they see the photos. So I was up close to the subjects with a wider angle lens. This gave the photos that in-your-face quality.

I’ll leave photographing real battles to the specialists

War photography was never something I wanted to do. And based on how many times I took a stray bullet, I think I made the right decision.

I’m grateful to all the photojournalists out there who do this for real! They risk their lives so we can bear witness to other people’s realities and know what’s happening in the world. Personally, I’ll stick to the Nerf battles.

The War Photographers who Inspired These Photos

Here are some of the images and photographers who inspired my approach to the photos above. Many of the great conflict photographers of all time are members of Magnum Photos. You can check out more photos in this style on their site here.