The Center for Railroad Photography & Art’s annual conference, Conversations 2023, is back the weekend of April 14-16 hosted at Lake Forest College in Illinois, 30 miles north of Chicago. This year’s presenter lineup includes exciting talks from outstanding photographers and artists across the country, plus presentations from the Center’s publications and collections teams.
The three-day conference will begin with a reception and dinner on Friday, April 14, followed by entertainment by award-winning musician Anthony D’Amato. Currently touring across Europe, Anthony is taking a break from his busy schedule to perform and share another one of his hobbies – railroad photography. Below is a preview of what attendees will see.
The event had already sold out, but a waiting list is being established. More information can be found online.
Eugene Armer — From Montagu Pass to Manayunk: A Photographic Journey
Eugene Armer will take the audience on a photographic journey that begins in southern Africa while growing up with steam power in everyday service and continues to the United States East Coast. From big 4-8-4s to the New York City Subway and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, Eugene will share images that span five decades and cover a variety of motive power and railway operations. In this photo, we see a South African Railways class 25 4-8-4 departing Bloemfontein with a mixed goods train to Kimberley in September 1972.
William Diehl — Steam, Semaphores, and Stars
This presentation will encapsulate the first twenty years of William Diehl’s railroad photography career. Highlights will include the former Denver & Rio Grande Western network, the rails around southern Arizona, and the railroads that encompass much of the former Santa Fe Railway network in Arizona and New Mexico. In this photo, we see the Milky Way over the Cumbres Pass Depot on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic.
Tom Gildersleeve — The Adventures (and Misadventures) of a Lifelong Kodaholic
Tom Gildersleeve will share highlights from his celebrated career, including his groundbreaking slide duplication process and synchronized flash night photography. He’ll take us back as far as the early 1950s and present images across the United States. Here we see a night photo of a Union Pacific train at Summit, Calif., in December 1963.
Brian Caswell & Chris Guss — Drones and Railfanning
Drones have become a mainstream hobby in today’s photography scene, especially rail photography. Chris and Brian will analyze the photography aspects of drones, their evolution over recent years, and how they fit into a photographer’s array of electronic equipment used to capture images trackside. In this Chris Guss photo, an Ohio Central train enters Cambridge, Ohio, on former Baltimore & Ohio trackage.
Steve Smedley — Rails: A Photojournalist’s Journey
Award-winning photojournalist Steve Smedley will showcase railroad employees at work. With a focus on the Midwest, Steve has a distinct talent for capturing the real and human moments of railroading. “I’ve always loved telling stories through the lens,” says Steve, and as a lifelong railroad photographer, Steve has many moments to share. Here we see an Iowa Interstate employee refueling a locomotive.
Gordon Glattenberg — Wasted Youth
Gordon Glattenberg will take the audience on a journey through his storied career from his earliest days growing up in southern California to the beginning and development of his breathtaking photography. From Southern Pacific lines in California to UP on Sherman Hill and 1960s Mexico City, Gordon has traveled extensively to explore new railroads and distant places. Here we see a Union Pacific train at Horseshoe Bend, Idaho in 1964.
David Tutwiler and Liné Tutwiler: A Fine Art Career – Up in Smoke
While David and Line’ often refer to themselves as ‘struggling artists’, their reputation and prolific careers speak for themselves in terms of their success. The talented painting duo will showcase some of their best work. Here we see an oil painting by David Tutwiler.
