How to Take Pictures

And it’s not what you think.

Both of the history works to date have had a significant number of pictures in them.  Some of these have been archival from numerous public sources and some have been from my own efforts.  There are a couple of foundational caveats that I should point out that may separate my journey from yours.

The first major caveat is that I had an underlying familiarity with the subject matter.  Ironically, this came in handier for the first book (far more pictures than words) than for the second one, which was far more narrative and for which I actually knew very little (except for the location of the dams themselves.)  In short, I knew where the big steel mills were and are (they’re kind of hard to hide) and a fair bit about where the mining activities were.  Similarly, the railroads weren’t difficult to picture either.  I had taken advantage of a regional bus tour sponsored by Heritage Johnstown that visited several of the important industrial sites in the area, such as the Gallitzin Tunnels, the Octagon (the blacksmith’s shop at the Lower Works of Bethlehem, now bracketed by JW Industries and the Center for Metal Arts), the Allegheny-Portage Railroad, and a few others.  As an aside, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel fairly often for work and got pretty good at visiting a new city…I cannot recommend tourist sightseeing buses enough.  YES, they’re touristy.  NO, you probably won’t see the really cool out of the way stuff, but if you’re on a limited amount of time and, most realistically of all, a limited budget, they’re a fantastic way to see the major sites where you’re not constantly confounded by traffic rules or other requirements — be it DC, New York, London, Madrid, Paris, Shanghai — take the bus tour.  Then, next time (or the next day), go back for a more careful look at a more curated list. 

The other caveat — if you’re entering a subject or area de novo, you’re likely going to have to do a lot of backgrounding prior to your visit to sites; I don’t care whether it’s architectural snapshots, gravestone rubbings, or landscape paintings.  The tricky and highly non-negotiable side of it is that you don’t become possessed by analysis paralysis.  It’s best to learn by doing and to learn while doing.  It’s far too easy to find another book, another article, another YouTube video that gives you an excuse to not compose.  Just as with the old adage to never let perfection stand in the way of the good enough, it’s important to continue with forward momentum…if you want a work product.  If you’re content just to read a ton of things about a topic, then let it go at that.  Understand, though, that no one writes something for you; you have to be the one to do it.

Be that as it may, with my hometown, I had a pretty good idea of what interested me.  That was pretty easy, once I understood my main point.  For Johnstown Industry, that was — make some type of record for what people had built here, how they worked, where they lived.  When doing that in the shades of the ruins of the Franklin facility, I felt like I was racing against time.  I wanted to make the record that something had been here…it wasn’t always an empty lot of weeds and loose rocks.  It had been the site of industry, of production, of families and friends and dreams.  I had a list of targets in mind and the theme holding them together, along with what gave me a plan and understanding of the work.  What’s my goal?  What do I want to accomplish with this?

Two final tips, at least in this regard – I didn’t worry about professional-grade photography.  The requirements that Arcadia had were fairly exacting anyway, with a certain amount of data per picture and a lower-bound resolution requirement.  I suppose you could get a professional to do it, as it depends on your intention and goal.  What I am saying is – I didn’t, and it probably isn’t necessary.  That being said, along with any other “advice” I may give here, your mileage may vary. 

As far as the second tip is concerned – have more material than what you need.  It’s easy to have an excess of words (as this blog is likely proving more than anything else), and it’s easy to have too many photos.  Both are good; cutting is important.  It’s almost always painful to cut, but it’s a necessary part of the process.  The upside of it (and here’s the real tip) – make sure you keep the clippings.  You can never be sure when a new idea for re-purposing might occur to you.  At the very least, it’s good practice and at best, it may just lead you to an exciting new project.