Cameras and Trains

by Paul Birkhead  Rowan Public Library

      On April 8th of this year, Rowan Public Library held its annual Spring Photowalk.  What is a photowalk?  It is an opportunity for a group of people to go for a walk and take photos together.  All skill levels and ages are welcome and while some bring fancy cameras, others just use their smart phones.  The best part of the walk is when participants share their best photos and the library puts them together in an exhibit.

      This year, the photowalk was held at the North Carolina Transportation Museum (NCTM) in Spencer.  If you weren’t aware, the NCTM is celebrating its 40th anniversary and they have a lot of history on display.  While there are always great subjects to take photos of at the NCTM, this time we also had antique tractors on display and even the Easter Bunny Express was operating full-steam.

      If photography interests you, Rowan Public Library stocks plenty of books on the subject.  One of the new titles you can check out is, Mastering Street Photography by Brian Lloyd Duckett.  Street photography, also known as candid photography, is the art of taking pictures of random objects and chance encounters.  Street photography has been around for over one hundred years, but recently has seen a surge in popularity.  Duckett’s book can serve as a fantastic guide for anyone who wanted to try their hand at street photography.  Techniques for being an unseen observer and how to frame and shoot from distant perspectives will help you with your photo skills.  There is even information on keeping safe and staying within the law as you capture these interesting, unplanned moments in time.  

      Have you heard of the amateur photographer named Vivian Maier?  I hadn’t until just a couple of years ago when a movie was released about her.  Vivian was never famous in real life, but after she died and her belongings were auctioned off, this Chicago area nanny’s negatives and photographs were discovered.  When Vivian’s photos were displayed online, they generated a lot of buzz and a documentary and a book were made to tell her story.  Rowan Public Library has both the book and the DVD about her.  If you enjoy photography, be sure to check them out.

      If trains are more your speed, the library has several books on that subject.  One new title is Smoke over Steamtown by Dennis A. Livesey.  This book has page upon page of gorgeous photographs of steam powered trains.  It also tells about the interesting history of Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  Of course, you can’t beat the history that’s even closer to home.  Check out one of the library’s copies of Southern Railway's Spencer Shops, 1896-1996 by Duane Galloway.  It will give you a new appreciation for the NCTM in Spencer.

      Don’t forget to stop by Rowan Public Library sometime in May to view the display of our photos from the Spring Photowalk.  You can also browse the Library’s online photo gallery (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rowancountypubliclibrary/sets) for a peek at photos from this and other photowalks.  If what you see inspires you, make plans to join us on our next adventure in the fall.  We’ve got our sights set on another Rowan County gem.