Many years ago my dad advised me, ‘photograph everything, because everything changes’. In October 2002, I made this photograph of Green Mountain Railroad’s excursion train passing the wooden covered truss at Bartonsville, Vermont. At the time this was a seasonal daily occurrence. While I was fond of the vintage Alco diesel, there was nothing unusual about the scene, and there was no special urgency in capturing the moment. Today, this image is a prize, but not for the Alco, which remains in excellent condition—I photographed it again last summer at White River Junction where it was positioned to power a Vermont Rail System excursion. The old covered bridge is only a memory today. It stood here since the 1870s, but on August 28, 2011 it was swept away by flood waters caused by Hurricane Irene. Its temporary replacement wasn’t as interesting to photograph; thankfully a replica truss bridge is under construction.
See this article about an effort to rebuild the wooden truss: http://www.bartonsvillecoveredbridge.com/
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Yes, great advice and as importantly, do it today and not tomorrow!
Re the brdige, looks like they’ve done a brilliant job on rebuilding it. Wouldn’t happen here…..they’d have stuck some awful concrete/steel mess in its place.
Mark
Although we may anticipate change, too often it’s the things that we take for granted that change suddenly and without warning. When you see something that interests you, pause for a moment and make a photograph—Don’t wait, it might not be there next time.
“Photograph everything, because everything changes”
Brian, that is excellent advice, and truer words have never been spoken. Every photographer needs to hear this advice, especially those who shoot the rail industry. What is commonplace today will be gone tomorrow. Memories fade, but photographs last forever.