Hey Everybody, After checking out Mr. Anderson's beautiful images of the UP Signal Bridge on the SPORRS Web Site, I have to ask - Are there any Signal Junkies out there?
I've been interested in railroad signals since I saw my first one along the IC's double tracked Chicago-New Orleans mainline, and I like to place signals in a photograph whenever possible. I've wanted to photograph some semaphores before they're all gone, but the closest set to Vicksburg, Mississippi are a long way off, and I just can't seem to find the time to take a trip to photograph them. What I wouldn't give to live near the ex-Monon line in Indiana, the ex-SP line in New Mexico or other locations where blades can still be found. I feel the same way about position light signals, which are rapidly falling victim to more modern signals. Even "traditional" searchlight signals may be in danger in a relatively short time as fiber optic searchlights become more and more common. Some of the finest examples I've seen of signal photography were in the Rail News issue dedicated to semaphores. That has to be one of my favorite issues, and one that I look at frequently for inspiration. Every so often a magazine will have a classic "splitting the signals" shot, telling me that there are some photographers out there that prefer to put signals in their shots. There aren't too many, however, that photograph these silent sentinels strictly for their asthetic value. If any of you enjoy photographing signals or including signals in your compositions, I'd like to hear about your techniques, ideas and experiences. Best Regards, Danny -> SPORRS: 'Serious Photographers Of Railroad Related Subjects' -> Web Site: http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/sporrs/ -> Message © 1998 SPORRS® - All Rights Reserved
