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951199: The Powder River Basin coverage doesn't just focus on railroads and mines. This mule deer is in the tall grass south of Gillette, Wyo. (Color transparency original ©Ernest H. Robl 1995) |
Documentation of railroad activities in the Powder River Basin (PRB) of Wyoming, first reported on in my last Stock Photo Update, has turned into an ongoing project.
In the fall of 1995 I spent a week (my second trip of the year) in the PRB, photographing not just railroads but also coal mines and related activities. Among the new subjects added were:
Why is a photographer and writer from North Carolina spending so much time and effort on a remote and mostly desolate area of Wyoming? Not only is this area a focal point of North American railroading, but, for someone specializing in transportation coverage, the greater PRB area -- with traffic influences extending into Montana, Nebraska, and many other nearby states -- provides an unparalleled opportunity to see in one place most aspects of modern railroad technology.
Technology? That includes everything from dispatching and signaling to motive power and other rolling stock. As noted above, tracks are continuing to be built -- and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF, which manages construction and dispatching for joint owners BNSF and Union Pacific) has increased the priority for capacity increases in the area.
The rugged landscape even provides many unique opportunities to photograph these operations.
That this area has a unique appeal and unique possibilities for photography -- especially with someone with the right feel and understanding for the subject matter -- was reinforced by the fact that BNSF decided to purchase rights to a substantial number of my images from my fall trip for its own use. BNSF had assisted with access to its property and facilities for that trip.
(Of course, there are also photos of the other major railroad that's a player in the PRB -- Union Pacific, which inherited access to the area through takeover of Chicago & North Western in 1995.)
So, for the first time, I'm devoting all of my current color promo sheet to subjects from a single area -- the PRB.
I'm also planning on at least one additional trip to the PRB in 1996. There are still plenty of subjects that I didn't get to on the previous trips.
Long-term, I hope that this extensive coverage will produce not only stock photos for individual clients, but also magazine articles, and finally an illustrated book on the area that would appeal to a wide audience.
Here's a sampling of the diverse range of stock photo clients during the past year:
Mailed or faxed want lists for my subject specialties are always welcome. If you're working on projects related to any of these specialties, I'd be happy to discuss available images.
Are there colleagues who may be interested in receiving my stock listings, updates, and sample images? Let me know and I'll add them to my mailing list. (Or, if you do not want to receive these mailings, I'm happy to take you off my mailing list.)
Would you like the latest detailed descriptive sheet for any of the following?
A faxed note with the relevant address and other information works best. Or, if you have access to internet electronic mail, see the e-mail address below.
While much of this newsletter focuses on new material from the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and other transportation coverage, regional coverage of North Carolina and Virginia has not been neglected. Yes, there's new material for those of you who work for travel publications, encyclopedias, and textbook publishers.
In fact, as promised in the last newsletter, I've begun a project of systematically updating this regional coverage, particuarly for locations where the most recent coverage dates back several years.
Look for more information in my next newsletter.
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