Gorgerail 2011

[WR51]

On May 21,2011 Discovery center museum Gorgerail 2011 returns. There will be good photography presentations and railfan/photography events.
http://gorgerail.com

Looking to see you all there.


WR51

[jeff]

Hey Steve ~ I am looking at combining a family trip to Spokane with a stop at GR-2011
on either end of the trip. I can't believe it, but it has already been six years since I had
the pleasure of enjoying GorgeRail 2005. I am still in contact with several attendees by
email, blog posts, and even US Mail. It will be good to re-connect with you and others !!
So much has changed

I highly recommend the event !! Exceptional photography and wonderful people.

~ jeff

[mkstarks]

Looks like I'm out till at least 2012. Police academy won't be over till June.

[jeff]

Hello from Spokane ~

I wanted to report on the GorgeRail 2011 event. This is my first opportunity to get behind a keyboard other than my Blackberry since leaving last Thursday (5-19-2011) morning.

Personal highlights for me were re-connecting with the PNW crowd. I missed seeing several friends, but did get to meet George Landrock, Leia's husband. It is good to see Leia in her new environment and in her new relationship, all with a smile on her face that you can't wipe off. I met a new friend, Joel Hawthorn (no "E"... hahaha!!) and got to know Paul Peterson a bit better.

As far as the presentations, here are my observations:

Highlights:

Joel Hawthorn's "Last Of The Loggers":
Joel covered the Simpson Logging operation with an emphasis on the human element of their railraod. Joel also covered the key repairs from a severe storm washout on the line. Joel's inclusion of several video clips made for a show that kept my attention from beginning to end. His early morning photography and the candid in-cab photos of the crew were outstanding.

David Lange's presentation of "Oregon Division Searchlights" :
This was the most creative and pleasant show of the day to watch. David made excellent choices in his soundtrack to compliment his imagery without overpowering the presentation. Searchlights have been a part of railroading for decades, around to the point of not even noticing them. David brought them to the forefront of every viewer in the audience, then presented them in a memorial fashion, as the UP turned them and dismantled them. I think I heard Leia crying as the final frames of the presentation passed by and the screen faded to black...

Paul Peterson (the host or MC of GorgeRail 2011):
Paul shared the technology of the Sigma sensor and their DSLR through his presentation titled "Sigmachrome". I think that some of the dynamics of the presentation may have been lost in the translation from the PC to the projector. I think some tweaking of the gamma may have been in order to better showcase the Kodachrome-like qualities of the Sigma sensor. Regardless, Paul's presentation and follow-up session was imformative and filled with quality imagery. The show moved along at a pleasant pace. His lecture style information following the presentation was enjoyed this and others in attendance.


Honorable Mentions:

Charles Lange: "Southern Pacific: Rhythm On The Rails"
His inclusion of ambient sound recordings made this show unique and worthy of recognition. It was nice to have other sounds besides rock music.

George Manly: "Gators, F's, and SD24's"
A wonderful collection of historical Santa Fe photographs in a variety of locals.

Ted Curphy: "The Undiscovered Country"
Map work and quality photos made for a digital guide to this other gorge, the Kootenai River Gorge in Idaho and Montana.

Venue:
No complaints from this attendee. I think it is a fine location that matches the events name. The cafeteria offered sandwich fixings and salad options at lunch and bottomless sodas and coffee thru-out the day for a modest $13.00. Well worth it in my eyes.

Vendors:
Several historical societies had informative booth. I took advantage of Jesse Burkhardts's booth where he was selling his books and postcards. I purchased a signed copy of "Freight Weather: The Art of Stalking Trains" for $35.00, plus $5.00 worth of his postcards and notecards. Jesse also had his historical book on Columbia River Gorge, but I preferred his creative and personal look at railroading over his historical account. Jesse makes excellent use of color in his creative photography. I am looking forward to reading his commentary and stories that accompany his imagery.

Suggestions For The Future:
The majority of the shows were way too long and several featured duplicate or repetitive photos of the same location or the same train in the same location, just 50 yards or so further down the tracks. Secondly, I would hope for some creativeness in regards to choice of soundtracks... there are only so many rock songs with a train or railroad theme, and they have all been used before. There were some nice surprises in the selection of sound from several of the shows... Enya, Depeche Mode, Vivaldi, and even a gospel folk song from O Brother Where Art thou ? Lastly, a small thing, but an observation nonetheless, the staff name tags had too small of a font to read from a normal conversation distance.

Jeff's Personal Observations:
My first impression or personal observation from GorgeRail 2011 is one of a let-down when I compare it to my other GorgeRail attendance in 2005. This is totally on a personal level rather than on the quality of the event. I was rather overwhelmed on my initial visit to the Gorge and was given the royal treatment by Aaron and Robert in 2005, not to mention the stop in Portland with Chris and Brett, and my visit with Alex. So, I was hoping to re-connect and re-live that excitement that I enjoyed in the May of 2005. "Elevated" or "unreal" expectations on my part are things that come to mind. A different year and a different experience. While I didn't get to see Alex, Robert, or Chris this trip, I did have the opportunity to spend some time with Bob, George and Leia, Aaron, Steve, and Steve D.

With family in the Gorge area, I am hoping to be able to make it back again next year and in the years to follow. Kudos go to the team of volunteers that pulled it off and got the event back on the map. I think that this was a fantastic step in the right direction.

Your Mileage May Vary...

~ jeff