When Edd Fuller asked me to write about the Center for Railroad Photography & Art conferences (at one of which he and I first met), it took me a couple of days to figure out where to start. After attending five of the events, I still can barely wrap my mind around the superabundance of talent and experience that gathers at every one. I still have not quite come down from the thrill of meeting David Plowden, my all-time railroad-photographer hero, the first time I went to Lake Forest, in 2016.
About one thing, though, I had absolute clarity: When John Gruber, founder of the Center, began the conferences in 2003, he called them “Conversations”, and I believe he chose the perfect name. Sure, the conferences follow a traditional format, with the varied presentations as the “marquee” draw, but every year’s event kicks off with an informal social gathering at the hors d’oeuvres hour—and every year I never manage to have anything to eat and drink because I have spent the whole time talking to people, some of whom I have known for years and some of whose names I have known all of my life and some of whom I have never heard of but with whom I have a lot in common. And throughout the weekend those conversations go on, at lunch and supper and in between presentations and at the pizza joint across from the Metra station in downtown Lake Forest until midnight and in the hotel lobby until a good deal later than that.
The collective nouns that we use in English often tell us something about the emotional connotations of the things so collected. Who could fail to feel uplifted by an exaltation of larks? Who would fail to feel unease at an unkindness of ravens? And of course we have names, often somewhat tongue-in-cheek, for groups of our fellow humans. Can’t you see a flock of tourists dashing about Trafalgar Square just like the resident pigeons?
Not at all facetiously, I would like to propose a collective noun for the group of us camera-toting railfans who gather each year at the CRPA conferences: a conversation of railroad photographers. Whether you come to the conference as a starry-eyed teen or twenty-something, or as a long-in-the-tooth dinosaur who still shoots film, or as anyone or anything else, you will find plenty of people eager to talk to you about your and their photos, and others’ photos you love and admire, and where you and they have gone and what you and they have seen and photographed and where you and they want to go to photograph the things that you and they haven’t seen yet.
So come to Lake Forest and join the conversation. I look forward to talking with you. – Oren Helbok
. . . a collective noun for the group of us camera-toting railfans who gather each year at the CRPA conferences: a conversation of railroad photographers.
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First rate presentation Oren & I’m really impressed by the seamless way you joined the great days of steam through to the present day. What most did it for me was your use of the word ‘heroic,’ & how true that is! Thank you Oren. Robert
“Conversations” is high on my list of events I need to attend.
Oren is a rare breed. And I say that in the very best manner. He has tremendous vision, with the talent and ability to capture what he sees with a camera in an intriguing and evocative way. On top of that he puts words to his imagery so well, both in print and spoken. I am happy to know him and have been fortunate to be alongside him for some great adventures together. He is an inspiration of mine.
Matthew