A newsletter for picture editors and researchers
Wright brothers site photos top updated N.C. images—and future coverage plans
Centennial of first powered flight, which took place on N.C. Outer Banks, is in '03
Nearly a century ago, two bicycle mechanics from Ohio took advantage of the steady winds of North Carolina's Outer Banks to make mankind's first powered flight.
Though I've photographed the Wright Brothers National Monument at Kill Devil Hills on several previous occasions, the upcoming centennial of that first flight in 2003 put updated images of the area at the top of my update list. So, in late April, I scheduled a multi-day trip to North Carolina's barrier islands.
The Wright Brothers National Memorial site at Kill Devil Hills was atop the list of sites to be photographed—and did produce new images.
Unfortunately, extensive renovation work at the visitor center and museum at the site—running somewhat behind schedule—was still in progress and expected to continue into July.
As soon as I can verify that the visitor center at the site is again accessible, you can be sure I'll be back at that site for additional updated coverage. So, you can be assured that as the centennial approaches, you'll be able to obtain contemporary coverage of this location from my stock file. Of course, this subject fits in with both my specialties of North Carolina coverage and transportation coverage.
Other Outer Banks images
In addition to photos of the Wright Brothers National Memorial, the April trip did produce updated coverage of three lighthouses, state ferries, and other subjects.
Hatteras lighthouse was photographed in both daylight and with the full moon (see a sample image on my Web site); the lighthouses at Bodie Island Ocracoke are also featured in new images.
(Earlier coverage of these lighthouses, particularly the Hatteras lighthouse prior to its 1999 move, provides historical context. Coverage of the Currituck light at Corolla is also available.)
Exteriors of the new Outer Banks Hospital at Nags Head, the first major medical facility on the barrier islands, are now also available to document the steady development of this once sparsely populated area.
Elsewhere in North Carolina
At the beginning of June, I added a new overview page to my Web site, "North Carolina symbols and icons." This page, containing both recent and older images, provides a look at some of the images that are most likely to come to mind when you want only one or two illustrations to evoke the state.
From long-leaf pine trees, to coastal lighthouses, to the ubiquitous squirrels that inhabit virtually all regions the state (and which are the official state mammal), these sample images provide additional examples of the diversity and depth of my coverage of the state.
Of course, updating my stock coverage of North Carolina is an ongoing project and the images on the Web site are only a small sampling of what's available.
| Virginia coverage includes Roanoke |
Roanoke, Va., made a recent list of the ten best places to retire—gaining recognition for cultural, scenic, and historic attractions.
Even before that list came out, I had scheduled a spring, 2002, shooting trip to Roanoke that produced colorful cityscape images from the town's historic Market Square, as well as showing several other landmarks of the city. You'll find a sample photo in the "Recent images" section of my site.
Also included on that trip was the National D-Day Memorial at Bedford, Va., an impressive and sprawling tribute, located in a small mountain town that lost much more than its share of troops on that fateful day.
| Assignments? |
Yes, I do assignment work, too. If your needs are too specific to be met with stock, give me a call. I can handle anything from photojournalism to corporate work.
For example, in the first half of this year, I shot an environmental portrait of a Duke University Medical Center doctor for Newsweek.
| Why
are you receiving this newsletter? I'm sure that some recipients of my Stock Photo Update are puzzled as to why they are receiving this newsletter. This puzzlement may result from the fact that I have several distinct photographic (and writing) specialties. Though I am best for my photography of transportation subjects, particularly railroads (my stock file also includes other modes), I also have substantial coverage of travel and general subjects from several geographic areas.
Of course, I have transportation coverage from both North Carolina and Austria, but my railroad coverage spans much of the U.S. and Europe. With clients ranging from transportation companies to travel and children's magazines, I cannot produce newsletters targeted to each group of clients and potential clients. Besides, there is substantial overlap among the readership: An advertising agency representing transportation companies may also handle travel accounts. And, a textbook researcher may be working on a state geography book one day and on an economics book that uses transportation images the next. So, I try to rotate the focus of my newsletters, stressing transportation subjects in some and geographic and travel subjects in others. In most newsletters, there are at least brief items on other than the main topic. Inevitably, however, some of you may receive a newsletter that focuses on topics other than your area of interest—despite the fact that I found your name in a context that led me to believe that you may have use for my work. My Web site has sections for each area of interest. My "Pictures by category" menu lets you select samples of a range of geographic and transportation subjects. The same is true of the descriptive information in the "Business" section of my site. |
Intermodal Expo coverage planned
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| Want
to save paper? Read future issues of this newsletter
online My newsletter mailing list has grown steadily since I began sending out updates a dozen years ago—first annually and, then recently, semi-annually. As noted in previous issues, people or organizations who have done business with me automatically receive these updates. If you have recently been added to my mailing list, you'll get the newsletter for about two years. After that, you may be dropped, unless you ask for a subscription—which, of course, is free. For practical reasons—to limit the time spent on the mailings and the costs of these mailing— I have limit distribution to part of my database. Since I've had my Web site, the newsletters have also been available there. (You can read newsletters back to issue #7 from1994.) Because you can read the updates online, I'm now providing the option of simply getting notification of the availability of a new issue by e-mail. Send me e-mail with the subject heading "newsletter notification"—and, when the next newsletter is available, I'll send you a brief e-mail instead of a physical copy. I will not use the mailing list to send you any other unsolicited mail. If you'd rather not receive the newsletter, I'll be glad to take you off my mailing list. I've only had one such request in the last two years. |
| Reminder |
If it's summer, it will soon be time for travel magazines to begin work on their winter issues. If you haven't looked at my December coverage of Austria at Christmas, please stop by the Web site: http://www.robl.w1.com .
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