End of an Era

[Sean Billy Bob Boy yates]

Like the steam engines he photographed so well, O. Winston Link has come to the end of the line and finished his last run. He will be missed.

[Sean Billy Bob Boy yates]

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/02/arts/02LINK.html

[Mark Minard]

There was a great feature on him about a year or two ago in Photo Techniques mag... I was unfamiliar with him until that article. His method of lighting was nothing short of genius - he really captured an era. Thanks for reminding us of him...

Mark Minard

[Jeffrey Goggin]

The January 2001 issue of Vanity Fair had a feature called "Shooting Past 80" about photography's Grand Masters. Among the photographers featured was O. Winston Link, who had his portratit taken sitting on an old steam locomotive. I don't know if you can still find it on a newsstand but it was a treat reading about these now 80- and 90-year old photographers and seeing portraits of them taken during the past year.

[Wayne Campbell]

Seconding what others said about O. Winston Link, I would add that the camera he used was a Graphic view II, something that might be of interest to readers of this site.

[Don Sparks]

Winston Link will certainly be missed. He probably would have been just another unkown photographer if not for his passion to document the last days of steam on the Norfork & Western railroad. His photographs of trains will always be an inspiration to me.

[Pat Kearns]

I was very saddened to learn of O. Winston Link passing on CBS Sunday Morning program. About 30 years ago there was a Life magazine article featuring his photographs that captivated me. I was lucky enough to see an exhibit of his work at The Gallery For Fine Photography in New Orleans about 2 years ago and I was in awe over his mastery of lighting the trains in the dead of night. He captured the essence of small towns that were built around the railroads. Everyone that has seen Link's work know what I have said... to those that haven't, seek it out. You will not be dispointed.

[dave bulmer]

I remember seeing a documentary a couple of years ago on British tv where he had purchased a rusty old engine of his own. He and an assistant set up all his old lights with hundreds of bulbs to record his own engine for one last time. After a lot of time setting up, he triggered the shutter and set off all the lights then turned to the camera crew and admitted that he hadn't removed the dark slide. No tantrums and no foul language, just a kind of ...oh well. I often remember that moment when something goes wrong for me. It puts it all in perspective.

[Blake]

yup rowdy... I feel like crying.

[Antony Harrison,uk]

I was saddened to hear the news of Winstons death,having watched a documentary some years ago here on tv ,thankfully I recorded it,his memory will live on through his work,god bless him for giving us so much.