Ogle Winston Link, more commonly known as O. Winston Link, was born on December 16, 1914 in Brooklyn, NY. Link is best known for his black-and-white photography and sound recordings of the last days of the steam railroad. He is also responsible for developing the pioneering equipment and techniques that allowed for some of the earliest examples of night photography, which he grew a strong passion for, along with railroad photography. In his earlier days, Link attended the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn where he went on to receive a civil engineering degree in 1937, during the depression era. A little later on, he became a photographer for a public relations firm which granted him the opportunity he needed to launch his lifelong photographic career. Link had a passion for shooting at night and without the integration of color. Amongst his inventions of new photographic equipment, he created rigging 43 flash bulbs which fired simultaneously in order to capture the steam from the trains against the night sky. He viewed night photography as romantic and dramatic, which fueled his passion for it.

Link wanted to capture the last years of the steam engine before the introduction of diesel engine trains. This resulted in a portfolio of black-and-white photographs capturing the last steam trains of the Norfolk & Western Railway line, as well as the small Virginia towns through which they ran. His mission was to create a series of photographs portraying the end of an era. 

O. Winston Link, Birmingham Special, Rural Retreat, Virginia, Executed in 1957, Printed 1986, Silver Gelatin Photograph

This photograph caught my attention because of its dramatic nature, which illustrates the amazing skills that Link possessed as a photographer, especially during the darkness of the night. This black-and-white photograph was taken in the town of Rural Retreat located in Wythe County, Virginia just before midnight on Christmas Eve in 1957. It shows a man standing beside a steam engine train with a bright light in his hand, possibly to direct the train, and to the right of him is a rather small establishment or building with the name Rural Retreat written on it.

Link did an exceptional job exhibiting strong contrast in this photo. The monochromatic tones lighten and darken significantly throughout this picture, giving its appearance extreme depth and clarity. The negative space both at the top and bottom of the photo create a centered focal point. The focal point creates sort of a horizontal line where the eye subconsciously follows. There is also a balance between the two halves of the photograph. The eye might first be drawn to the man with the strong bright light in his hand, then towards either side of the image being that both sides show great strength in their composition and contrast. Repetition of forms and leading lines are also present. The vertical lines of the building add to the depth of the structure and the image overall, as well as the leading lines created by the train tracks, which seem to lead into complete darkness in the photo. Although this photograph was taken during the darkness of the night, Links vision prompted him to create the right tools and techniques to carry out his work, which resulted in his impressive photography work as depicted in this image.