Photographer in ResidenceThe South Devon Railway has appointed Sarah Anne Harvey as its first ‘Photographer in Residence’. Sarah began her photographic career in Birmingham and then worked in Surrey and London for twenty five years before moving to Devon eight years ago. She will admit only to have been in the photographic profession for ‘around 40 years’. Her first book Brixham and Beyond was published in 2008, the same year she began to photograph the South Devon Railway. But she effectively became a full time railway volunteer in 2009 when she created a complete photographic record of the SDR’s 40th Anniversary Year, which celebrated the re-opening of the line on April 5th 1969. Whilst most railway photographers tend to only photograph trains in action, Sarah has drawn upon the experiences of her long career in portraiture to create an extensive collection of the Railway’s volunteer force. Sarah comments: “It is the hard work that the SDR’s workers do behind the scenes that enables the trains to run efficiently and ensures that passengers can thoroughly enjoy their day out on the railway, yet is a subject so often ignored by photographers.” Additionally in June of this year she created an ‘unofficial’ website for the railway which provides an almost daily update of news and a raft of articles and photo reports of all aspects of life on the South Devon Railway. The website has quickly become a firm favourite with web browsers, railway enthusiasts and SDR volunteers alike with a hit rate that would be envied by many. Sarah is joined by Maureen Douglas-Green, a Plymouth based photographer, who is appointed Assistant Photographer in Residence, the two having worked together for nearly three years. Maureen’s speciality is botanical and nature photography which will be of particular benefit to the railway in providing a permanent record of what is effectively an important seven mile stretch of nature conservancy unaffected by modern farming methods. In 2009 Maureen was awarded second place in the Plant Portrait category of the Royal Horticultural Society’s International Photographic Competition; with a photograph of a moss which can also be found on the South Devon Railway. December 2009
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