THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTISTRY OF RAIL CAMERAMEN

High production values. Not entirely steam.

PRICE: £30.00 RATING:

A glorious black and white study of an original ‘Patriot’ storming towards Shap, by the wizard of the darkroom Stephen Crook, opens this showcase of railway photography and sets the tone for this lavishly illustrated tome. John Hillier has gone to great lengths to celebrate the 100th folio of the Rail Camera Club (RCC), originally the Railway Photographic Society, by bringing together some of the finest work of its members past and present. These folios are passed from one contributor to another, each submitting their own prints, while providing a critique of the other submissions. The critiques in these pages are left to the reader, as each image is accompanied by a personal introduction and detailed captions for the three or four pictures selected by – or for – each. Those that have been chosen ‘on behalf of’ include the late Bishop Eric Treacy and W.J.V. Anderson, whose superbly executed action shots have more than stood the test of time. Indeed, many of the current crop of RCC members who appear in the book will be well known to Steam Railway readers, having had photographs published in its pages over the past five decades, not least John Hillier, whose own eye for a picture is quite apparent. If there is one slight downside for the hardened steam enthusiast, it’s that it includes representatives of diesels and electrics but, in truth, it doesn’t detract from a thoughtfully compiled volume. Production qualities are very high, which does justice to the standard of work on offer. Not everyone would describe themselves as a photographer, but most people appreciate good photography – and The Photographic Artistry of Rail Cameramen is the perfect venue for it.