Gooseneck Dam and No. 2, Buena Vista, Virginia

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This photograph of the N&W passenger train No. 2 as it approached Buffalo Forge, Virginia, required six days to set up. The remote site was suggested by railroad workers who had begun to supply Link with ideas for images once they learned he would represent the railroad and its workers with respect. Working at night and in a river made this the most physically difficult to produce of Link’s N&W images. One of the biggest challenges was transporting the flash units across the river. Link and his assistant strung their own cable bridge over 150 feet of water using two sets of cable—one for their feet and one above for their hands. The shot required almost a mile of electrical wire, some of it suspended by the trees. Despite this complexity, Link used his knowledge of light and the reflective qualities of steam and water to his advantage.

Keywords

United States
Night
River
Black and White
Trains