2010 Conversations Breaks Records


The crowd nearly filled McCormick Auditorium at Lake Forest College. Photo by Henry A. Koshollek, M.A.

A record crowd of over 160 came to Lake Forest (Illinois) College for the Center’s eighth “Conversations about Photography” conference, held April 23-25, 2010. The weekend was sponsored by Canon, TrainsClassic Trains, and Railfan & Railroadmagazines. The expanded program included a record number of renowned speakers, plus events on Friday and Sunday. More than 100 people attended both the Friday evening dinner and the Sunday workshops.

Friday, April 23, 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
New in 2010, we kicked off the conference Friday evening with a dinner at the Calvin Durand Hall of Lake Forest College’s Mohr Student Center. Ian Kennedy of the Nelson-Atkins Museum offered a keynote address following the meal, which was preceeded by a social hour. Attendees had the opportunity to meet one another as well as the presenters and the Center’s board members, and to view a photography exhibition by presenter Frank Barry.

Saturday, April 24, 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

  • 8:30, Welcome
  • 8:45, Frank Barry, photos and stories from his travels to remote locations throughout North and Central America in search of working steam locomotives in the 1950s and 60s.
  • 9:45, Alex Ramos, the development of his photography style and the influence of working at the Scott Nichols Gallery in San Francisco.
  • 10:30, Break
  • 10:45, Linda Niemann and Joel Jensen, their new book, Railroad Noir.
  • 11:45, Lunch (Calvin Durand Hall of Lake Forest College’s student union complex)
  • 1:00, Updates on the Center for Railroad Photography & Art
  • 1:45, Jeff Brouws, the railroad landscape as archeology through the work of several photographers.
  • 2:30, Break
  • 2:45, Jim Brown, a retrospective on his photography of Canadian railroads.
  • 3:30, Break
  • 3:45, Ted Benson and Tom Taylor, stories and photos from their travels together, particularly throughout California.
  • 5:00, Reception at the Glen Rowan House

The reception, which was sponsored by Trains and Classic Trains, included a photography exhibition, limited edition print sales, and book sales and signings. Linda Niemann’s and Joel Jensen’s new book, Railroad Noir, debuted at the conference and sold 60 copies. Mike Danneman’s new book on Helper, Utah, Last of Breed, was also be available, as was Elrond Lawrence’s Route 66 Railway and the Center’s Classic Steam.

Sunday, April 25, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Sunday morning featured a conversation with David Plowden on his approach to photography, followed by a panel discussion led by Jeff Brouws on book publishing.