June 2015: Stephen Schmidt
The month of June acknowledges Stephen Schmidt in our latest installment of profiling young talent in railroad photography. Born in Chicago's western suburbs, Schmidt's interest in rail photography has recently blossomed into a career with BNSF Railway at the young age of only 18 years old. Schmidt still calls the Chicago area home, but will soon be moving to La Crosse, Wis. to advance his career with BNSF Railway.
Schmidt's introduction to railroad photography came in the mid-2000s on visits to different rail photography spots in the Midwest with his father. Schmidt started taking photos using a disposable camera at about nine years old.
"I don't know if it was the idea of being able to preserve a moment in time or just to be able to keep track of the trains that I had seen on all the trips, but the first shutter click of the first of dozens of those little yellow cameras was the pebble that started the avalanched," Schmidt tells us.
Left: Stephen Schmidt poses for a photo in the engineers seat of NS SD70 No. 2507. Right: In low lighting, CP SD40-2 No. 5677 leads a total of four conventional cab EMD's into an S-curve with a mixed freight in tow.
Here's some additional commentary from our discussion with Stephen:
Q. Currently, what is your favorite place to visit?
A. It's so hard to pick just one favorite place when the library includes photos of trains winding through the New River Gorge and skirting the shores of the Pacific, but I think the one place that I still have the greatest connection to is Trempealeau, Wisconsin on BNSF's Saint Croix Subdivision, a small town nestled in the bluffs of the Mississippi River valley. It's one of the first places I ever visited solely to watch trains, and the combination of birds flying in blue skies, the river flowing by, and trains racing along the bluffs is something that really sticks in your heart forever.
Q. Looking ahead, what do you plan to do with your photography?
A. I'll take it wherever it may lead me! I've had some fantastic opportunities to work alongside Amtrak, the National Association of Railroad Passengers, and BNSF Railway, and they have only made the photography aspect of the hobby that much more enjoyable. My intention with every photo I take is to keep a memory of that moment and the story behind it. And it would only make it that much better if people want to enjoy that memory and that story with me.
Q. What are some places you would like to visit for railroad photography?
A. One of my favorite things about railroad photography is that one can always find new places to shoot trains, whether it be from browsing the internet or just driving past a location and saying, "What the heck, why not?" and giving it a try. I've seen so many spectacular photos of Western Canada and Alaska that definitely have me considering trips up north in the future, as well as to Glacier National Park in Montana. I've ridden the Empire Builder through the park multiple times, but I think it's time to hop off one of these days and see what opportunities it has to offer.
Q. Who inspires you?
A. As odd as it sounds, I believe that every railroad photographer is my inspiration. The creativity of photographic aspects that I've seen over the years have given me so many ideas of my own to pursue, and have really pushed me outside of the box on numerous occasions. Taking a 3/4 wedge of a train is one thing, but really going out of your way to capture an entire scene is something completely different, it really adds to a photo to be able to feel like you were there. There have been, and still are so many incredible railroad photographers out there that can make you feel like you are in the photo, and I strive every time I'm out trackside to capture the same effect.
Q. Did railroad photography influence your decision to pursue a railroad career?
A. Definitely, especially the times that I would shoot along BNSF's Chicago and Aurora Subdivisions. I always get a kick out of passing by a location where I've shot a train on the trips and from our away-from-home terminal in Savanna, Ill. Years ago, I thought about how cool it would be to be the guy up there running the train. It's great to be able to say that I love my job, and it really is an opportunity that I'm blessed to have.
Schmidt also enjoys traveling, preferably by train or car to experience the adventure to its full effect.
"There's so much to see in this world, and too many people take it for granted. Whether it be a trip across the country or just down the road, there's a sight to be seen and a memory to be made," he said.
Left: Three conventional cab EMD's lead a freight through the Mississippi Valley. Right: Amtrak's westbound Southwest Chief passes the semaphore signals at Chapelle, N.M., westbound on BNSF's Raton Pass.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.