{"id":3168,"date":"2013-07-12T07:35:47","date_gmt":"2013-07-12T11:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/?p=3168"},"modified":"2013-07-12T08:53:43","modified_gmt":"2013-07-12T12:53:43","slug":"central-vermont-at-stafford-spring-connecticut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/central-vermont-at-stafford-spring-connecticut\/","title":{"rendered":"Central Vermont Railway at Stafford Springs, Connecticut"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spring 1984<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I made this image during my senior year of high school. I don\u2019t remember the specific circumstances, but on that day I\u2019d followed Central Vermont Railway\u2019s southward freight from Palmer to Stafford. I made photos of it south of downtown Monson off Route 32, and at the Massachusetts-Connecticut State Line.<\/p>\n

\"Central<\/a>
Shortly before the train came into view a cloud conveniently softened the sun. Central Vermont GP9s ease toward a grade crossing at Stafford Springs, Connecticut. With a carefully composed vertical in my rangefinder’s view, I released my Leica’s shutter with an audible snap. Many years later I scanned the negative.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This view in downtown Stafford Springs has always intrigued me. The railroad runs tight to a row of buildings along the main street in town. Today, the brick building featured in the photograph hosts a trendy coffee shop where I sometimes meet my friend Roger Ingraham to wait for trains to pass and discuss photography.<\/p>\n

In 2013, New England Central operates the railroad, but the scene hasn\u2019t changed all that much. I still make photos here from time to time.<\/p>\n

I exposed this image with my old Leica 3A and 50mm Summitar lens, and used a Weston Master 3 light meter to assist in exposure calculation. I processed the film myself in Microdol-X. Typically, I used a weak formula to save money. By doing so, I inadvertently avoided over developing my negatives (which was a flawed inclination of mine at the time).<\/p>\n

I made a few minor contrast\u00a0modifications in post processing and cleaned up a few small spots and scratches on this nearly 30 year-old 35mm negative.<\/p>\n

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