A fine photograhers, a great storyteller in the tradition of a picture is worth a thousand words.
With the passing of Mr. Link we lose a valuable asset to the keeping of the memories that go with the love of trains.
I for one send my regards to his family.
Mr. Link was truly one of the finest railroaders and will be forever missed. I will continue to be inspired by his work and send my regards to his entire family.
Link was a iconic photographer - a standout in the field of rail photography.
Balt, I hope you don’t get yelled at for digging up an old thread. [%-)]
But since you did: To me, Link is the greatest. Right up there after him are Jim Shaugnessy and Phil Hastings. In the modern, diesel, color category, I think Gary Benson was perhaps in a class of his own.
Timeless.
Why are we leaving Steinheimer out?
Because you hadn’t mentioned him yet. It wasn’t an all-inclusive list.
Don’t forget Bob Malinowski, who specialized in Northeast railroad photography in color, and was an absolute master of not just capturing the train itself but the train in the context of its surroundings.
Needless to say, the OWL was a master of that as well, probably THE master.
And there was Bob Collins, who got so many good shots at the Erie’s S-curve in Waldwick NJ it’s known to this day to Northeast railfans and photographers as “Collins Curve.”
There are old threads that should be forgotten…
There are old threads that should never be forgotten.
Never forget O. Winston Link and the images he created.
Not much chance of that wherever N&W fans gather. Or the well-informed railfans gather as well.
Hot Shot eastbound at the Iaeger Drive-in hangs above my desk.
Just a general question: How much other railroading photos did O Winston Link shoot besides N&W steam??
I certainly think Steinheimer was an excellent photographer. But IMO he’s not quite in the same league as the three I mentioned.
Link’s work was chiefly industrial - he stumbled into photographing N&W steam by chance during an assignment in Virginia. In the process, he was able to use something he was interested in - synchronized flash.
As I recall, he was given carte blanche on the railroad - most of his shots were staged and involved multiple takes.
A good read is “The Last Steam Railroad in America,” which contains much of his work, including some color plates.
I don’t know that he shot many other railroads (if any). The book I mentioned is really more about his documentation of the last days of steam on the N&W than it is his over-all works.
Hot Shot eastbound at the Iaeger Drive-in will alway reman in my mind. Mr. Limk had to work to merge multiple shots for proper exposures but it is still one of the most memorable photos I have seen. For those who saw the N&W before it ended steam, it recalls so many memories. J’s, A’s, and Y’s were magnificent machines that did their jobs well. R.I.P O. Winston Link. Thanks for the memories.
Print available https://fineart.ha.com/itm/photographs/o-winston-link-american-1914-2001-hot-shot-eastbound-at-the-iaeger-drive-in-west-virginia-1956gelatin-silver-/a/5153-74080.s $15,500 or more
To each their own, of course - but I always liked more natural photography. OWL’s stuff (and as a result - a lot of photo charters) always look too “staged” for my tastes.
Fir example: the classic cleaning the headlight shot.
Certainly, that would be a valid criticism. And this is all totally subjective of course, anyway.
To me, his genius was incorporating the surroundings (buildings, people, etc.) with the railroad. Since he loved shooting at night, to show the whole scene, and still freeze the action, he had to use a LOT of flash lighting. And yes, you can tell he did, because your brain knows that only a certain few things will be illuminated at night normally.
He and his assistant would work for hours to get ready for (literally) a single shot. They were using all these flashbulbs. One and done. Now, ole Winston, keep in mind, is witnessing the event with only the actual available light. So in the relative darkness, he has to, based on his pre-concieved mental image, time exactly the instant to make that whole lightshow go POP.
Despite this, his compositions are perfect. A fast-moving train is exactly where it should be to best make the image work.
(Then you start unscrewing and throwing away the spent bulbs, packing up all those flash-heads and stands and cables. Pack them up in heavy cases, … Then go try to find a drink in rural Virginia at that time.)
No one else would have had the vision and determination to make, say, the famous drive-in image. Link is one of a kind.
Many years ago, I knew an art photography curator who put up a Link show in Portland. She said she’d give me a much lower price than the general public had to pay. I could have bought a giant, exquisitely-printed, framed/matted/signed print of the drive-in shot, or any of the other really i
Look at these prices:
https://www.phillips.com/artist/10794/o-winston-link
If you scroll down you can see a shot of him and his assistant and his equipment. Not exactly feather-weight gear.
If you are ever near Roanoke, go to the Link Museum! It’s beyond awesome. And there are a lot of shots that are more natural, many with no lighting at all. Daytime shots. Railroader portraits. Giant collection. And not just photos. His gear is there.
I presume those prices are for pints that Link printed himself?