50 Years of Phoenix

AUTHORS: Jim Knight &

Wyn Hobson

PUBLISHER: Silver Link Books

ISBN: 978-1-85794-591-1

PRICE: £30

WEBSITE: www. nostalgiacollection.com

THIS 144-PAGE hardback book showcases some of the best images taken by members of the Phoenix Railway Photographic Circle over the last five decades and is collated by Jim Knight and Wyn Hobson. Split over 14 chapters, the book charts not only the rise of the PRPC but also the changing face of the railway itself. Understandably, the images to start with are mostly black and white, as this was still the most affordable way to get good pictures in the 1970s when colour slide film was still expensive.

Each image has a brief caption detailing the subject and the images are all about composition rather than ‘just a train’. Therefore, the infrastructure – and sometimes the people – take as much importance as the train itself.

The images are, on the whole, stunning, imaginative, well composed and – well, just that bit different. A Class 156 in Norfolk might not seem an interesting prospect, but taken in the mist of a sunrise, the resulting image is stunning.

There’s plenty of scenery to enjoy, and the ‘typical’ S&C image is moved up a good few notches by the imaginative composition of the subject, the foreground and the background. There are a few pictures from around the globe, but most are in the UK.

Some pictures use people to add to them, in fact you can almost imagine the photographer screaming in their head “Oi, you, get in the way”!

Overall, this is a stunning collection of images and should inspire any photographer to think beyond the traditional front three quarters shot and look at the many different ways to get inspiring and imaginative images that are a form of art, rather than just a snap. I would thoroughly recommend this book!