The mythmakers in Brian Shumway’s series Modern Medieval aren’t content to sit around a table slaying imaginary dragons or play make-believe on Halloween. No, they're out and about, dressing, talking and behaving like lords, warriors, Valkyries and the other characters of their own worlds and imaginations.
Shumway became curious about people who take fantasy to the next level after watching the 2008 documentary The Dungeon Masters. His intimate portraits and playful action shots reveal the hidden joy and deep passion of those who immerse themselves in lives others might consider odd. But rather than mock his subjects, Shumway joins in on the fun, making photographs that possess a bit of magic all their own. “You just never know who people really are. They put up one face in everyday life, but then they have this whole other side to themselves that you'd never expect,” he said.
After an online search, he found his subjects in, of all places, Utah. He ventured to the the town of Samak in northeastern Utah, where he spent the weekend with residents of the fantastical land of Palanthar. He photographed Arcadius Valden, a wizard; Dr. Victor von Vargas; a traveling medicine man, and Sunddrek; an elf warrior; among others as they discussed magic and mystery as part of their ongoing live action role-playing game, or LARP.
“They have an idea of what the plot and the story line is, but they're kind of figuring it out as they go along,” Shumway said. “At the event I went to, it was a bit slow and awkward at times. None of them are actors, obviously, but at the same time they're playing a role that they created,” he said.
The world of fantasy, Shumway discovered, is wide. Not too far away in Provo, he spent time with the Watchmen of Ered Duath, a chapter of the larger Belegarth Medieval Combat Society, which was quick to distinguish itself from the people of Palanthar: “This isn’t LARPing---it’s paintball with swords!” the group’s website states. Watchmen fight with foam-padded weapons, and although they're often in costume, their battles don't follow a broader narrative. They're simply in it for the sport.
Shumway captured some of that action, but he was more interested in capturing his subjects at home, where the juxtaposition between reality and fantasy was sharpest. In those settings, amid the new cars, groomed lawns and tidy living rooms, it’s clear that these fairies, squires and giants also are spouses, parents and homeowners.
While the groups may seem “funny or weird or eccentric,” Shumway said, the games are not taken lightly. The adventures in Samak, for instance, included a tent meant to serve as a hospital, for when people are “hurt.” And those interested in getting involved in Palanthar are encouraged to peruse a nearly 400-page rulebook.
“If you’re going to be a 40-year-old man wearing blue fairy wings, you're probably going to take it seriously,” Shumway said.
