The main aim of the members of the circle is to produce images of non-steam subjects that are more
visually interesting than the conventional front threequarter record shot.
The Circle operates through a number of circulating postal portfolios. These
move from member to member; some members belong to print folios, some to transparency
folios, some to both. On recieving a folio the member removes his images from
the previous round and replaces them with new. Constructive comments are made
about the images of other members of the folio. When completed the folio is sent
on it's way to the next member. At any one time there may be five or six folios
in circulation.
If you feel that you would like to participate in the
activities of the Circle and your approach to the photography of non-steam
railway subjects is in line with that of the Circle, get in touch with the
circle secretary. Currently we have several
vacancies in our slide portfolios, so if you think your slides fit the bill,
please get in touch. Contact details will be found below.
The image galleries are presently of two types:
In 1968, when regular steam operation on Britain’s railways ceased, a great many photographers of the railway scene hung up their cameras for good. But in 1970 a group of rail enthusiasts found more modern railways a challenging photographic subject, and the Phoenix Railway Photographic Circle was born. Members have, for almost thirty five years, sought to provide a different perspective on the normally staid subject of train pictures. Elevating this somewhat obscure subject to the status of a minority art form, members’ work is circulated in postal portfolios and regularly appears in rail periodicals.
The Circle’s first exhibition has come to the end of a long run in theWest Country at Pecorama, near Seaton, before that at Scotland’s Railway Exhibition at Bo’ness, and before that at York’s National Railway Museum.
The theme of the exhibition (entitled “Catching the Phoenix”) is “The Human Element” and aims to capture the relationship between railways and its staff, customers and spectators. Locations featured are truly global, ranging from Myanmar, Poland, North America and Switzerland to The Forth Bridge.
The photographs included in the exhibition were chosen from over 130 submitted by the membership, here you can see the complete set of
Submitted images
'Photoshop' for Railway Photographers
Hints and tips for the digitally challenged
List of Members - Present and Past
All images on this site are copyright © of the author or of the Phoenix RPC. Reproduction, transmission or storage in any form without permission is expressly forbidden.
Site Design ©