My mind is still in a whirl from a most informative, thought-provoking and worthwhile day spent in the cosy yet very practical surroundings of South Devon Railway’s Victorian Picnic Coach as Sarah Anne Harvey delivered her first seminar for over 20 years. The location may have been far removed from the conference settings of the Home Counties, but the delegates and I were made to feel equally as special as any of the leading national and international photographers who attended her seminars on portraiture and wedding photography in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

I was so pleased that others were now able to experience for themselves, Sarah’s gentle, patient, and immensely knowledgeable teaching style. As always, Sarah’s approach to the day was very practical, with her own meticulous planning evident in every aspect.

Seeing Sarah’s favourite images from 2010 was a real treat. Many images that I had not had the opportunity to see prior to the seminar, appeared before us; images ‘breaking the rules’ of photography; images full of creativity; images oozing her photojournalistic capabilities; images of technical perfection, flowed in a royal progress of inspiration. It is no wonder that editors of the country’s railway magazines are so eager to have her work. Her inspirational style surely will make the ‘dyed in the wool’ art editors sit up and take note as the standard ¾ images of trains are largely banished to be replaced by work that truly and imaginatively portrays the essence of steam railways. Through her enthusiasm though, we were left in little doubt that Sarah wanted all of us to use each and every one of our senses in order to capture that very essence that her personal work displays. This would enable us to produce, through her suggestions and guidance, the best results for our own satisfaction.

I think that very few of the delegates actually realised that they were the ones who should be in control as tons of locomotive come hurtling towards you at 60mph! Sarah explained the many reasons for that actually being the case, but at each stage of her explanations, the years of patient observation, research and love of the subject manifested themselves. The seminar was interspersed with the most amusing anecdotes, but each one was carefully used to illustrate a point that would not be forgotten.

Attention to detail is one of Sarah’s trademarks the amount of careful planning that precedes each of Sarah’s shoots was apparent in everything. Ideas for finding appropriate locations flowed naturally, complementing the reading of the geographical details to form a complete picture. Economy of movement when planning a sequence of very different images from the same location was a concept that became clearer to all of the delegates.

By the time the excellent lunch prepared by Graham and the staff of the Refreshment Room was being digested, the morning’s food for thought was also following suite, in preparation for the chance to put the newly acquired knowledge to good use.

It was a real delight to receive an image from Bob Vaughton that showed so clearly that all of the suggestions that Sarah had made, had been put into practice for him to be able to come up with a superb image as 3205 pulled into the platform at Buckfastleigh. It proves that lineside access is not necessary to produce winning shots.

Teenager to 60+ was represented at that seminar; novice to very accomplished amateur also. Each and every one of us benefited enormously from the day and left the comfort of the Picnic Coach having really had a feast of practical wisdom, but we left with a hankering thirst for greater knowledge and desire to use the very down to earth help and practical teaching we had received.

 

There have many times in my career when someone has said, "photography is a very glamorous profession isn’t it!"  And there are undoubtedly times when it is; but much of the time its pure routine and photography on the South Devon Railway is no exception to that.  The photography of work in progress, lineside clearance, track maintenance, engineering etc is routine - much of it being for railway or historical records only and therefore not being published. 

Forty one years ago, in 1969, public passenger services recommenced on the Totnes to Ashburton branch line; which had lost its passenger services in November 1958, and goods in  September 1962.  The three men in our picture, from left to right Brian Cocks, Dave Knowling and Colin Harmes drove and fired those first public trains on what is now the South Devon Railway.

As mentioned in an earlier news article Brian has returned after a summer’s absence due to illness and Colin has rejoined the railway after being away for a few years.  Dick Wood commented, “The photograph could be 40 years ago.........Colin is now a Passed Cleaner again but was a Fireman and Driver in the Dart Valley era and I’m very pleased to welcome him back onto the footplate roster once more as one of our most experienced and affable crew.” 

In 1969 the concept of a Heritage Railway was very new and to some doubters an outrageous one at that - how could a railway be run by a bunch of amateurs?  It was, after all, only twelve months after the demise of steam on British Railways.  Time has proved the doubters wrong and much of that is due to the efforts of the trio above and many other hundreds of volunteers who over four decades have made the railway what it is today.