Gene Bowker was born and raised in Poway, California and currently lives in Aiken, South Carolina with his wife Cindy and their two cats, Little Man and Meesha.
Influences:
The strongest influence on my work is Ansel Adams and his work in Black & White landscape photography. Some favorites of mine are his scenes from the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and also his work in Carlsbad Caverns. Some of this work is now in the public domain as it was done for the Office of Wartime Information (OWI) and I share some of my favorites on my roadtrip101 blog from time to time. I was lucky enough to see an extended gallery collection of his prints in Columbia in 2009.
Another influence is the Black and White work of O. Winston Link who's photographs of the Norfolk and Western (N&W) at the end of steam are truly classics of railroad photography and work to capture more than just the train in their images. The O. Winston Link Museum in Roanoke (located next to the Viriginia Transportation Museum) is on my short list to visit in the near future.
A painter who's work I have always admired is Jim Harrison, who lives in Demark, South Carolina near my home in Aiken. He is most famous probably for his work for the Coca-Cola Company and also for his See Rock City barn pieces, but he also has done many fabulous pieces highlighting the beauty of the Carolina coast. His ability to recreate the past in his works has influenced me in trying to find photo locations which preserve the history of our area.
Railroads, Covered Bridges, and the Roads of Life
I have always had a love of trains since my childhood in Southern California. Where I visited the famous landmarks such as Cajon Pass, Techacapi Pass, Barstow and the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. I also grew up visiting the San Diego Model Railroad museum, which is absolutely incredible.
My favorite railroads growing up were the Santa Fe (ATSF) and I have fond memories of catching Amtrak trains at the San Diego Station downtown with my parents at a young age for rides to Los Angeles.
I also remembers riding the steam trains while visiting Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm as a child.
In High School, I was a member of the Poway High School Emerald Brigade and marched in the 1989 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.
After high school, I relocated to Eastern Arkansas near Memphis, Tennessee. The delta of Eastern Arkansas and the Mid-South introduced me to a variety of new experiences and railroads as well as a bit of "Culture Shock". In 1995 I received his BA in Political Science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
While in Arkansas, I became a fan of the Ex-Frisco (SLSF) railroad mainline which ran through Jonesboro between Memphis and Springfield. It was by then operated by the Burlington Northern and later would be merged into the BNSF.
After college, my work in production management required a transfer to West Plains, Missouri also on the Ex-Frisco mainline. While in West Plains, I met and married his wife Cindy. We were married in 1997 in Iowa on Rosemond Bridge made famous in Robert Waller's Book and Movie "The Bridges of Madison County".
Career moves have resulted in us living in a number of Southern states including Georgia, Florida, and since 2002 in South Carolina. In 2006, we relocated to our current home in Aiken, South Carolina.
While working for a variety of companies, I received myMasters in Business Administration and Masters in Information Systems and hope to teach on the college level in the future.
When not working at my day job, I enjoy photography, writing, travel, and history.
I write several columns on Railroads and Travel as well as blogging on several sites.
Gene's Current Columns
Gene's Blogs
Find Gene on Twitter
Influences:
The strongest influence on my work is Ansel Adams and his work in Black & White landscape photography. Some favorites of mine are his scenes from the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and also his work in Carlsbad Caverns. Some of this work is now in the public domain as it was done for the Office of Wartime Information (OWI) and I share some of my favorites on my roadtrip101 blog from time to time. I was lucky enough to see an extended gallery collection of his prints in Columbia in 2009.
Another influence is the Black and White work of O. Winston Link who's photographs of the Norfolk and Western (N&W) at the end of steam are truly classics of railroad photography and work to capture more than just the train in their images. The O. Winston Link Museum in Roanoke (located next to the Viriginia Transportation Museum) is on my short list to visit in the near future.
A painter who's work I have always admired is Jim Harrison, who lives in Demark, South Carolina near my home in Aiken. He is most famous probably for his work for the Coca-Cola Company and also for his See Rock City barn pieces, but he also has done many fabulous pieces highlighting the beauty of the Carolina coast. His ability to recreate the past in his works has influenced me in trying to find photo locations which preserve the history of our area.
Railroads, Covered Bridges, and the Roads of Life
I have always had a love of trains since my childhood in Southern California. Where I visited the famous landmarks such as Cajon Pass, Techacapi Pass, Barstow and the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. I also grew up visiting the San Diego Model Railroad museum, which is absolutely incredible.
My favorite railroads growing up were the Santa Fe (ATSF) and I have fond memories of catching Amtrak trains at the San Diego Station downtown with my parents at a young age for rides to Los Angeles.
I also remembers riding the steam trains while visiting Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm as a child.
In High School, I was a member of the Poway High School Emerald Brigade and marched in the 1989 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.
After high school, I relocated to Eastern Arkansas near Memphis, Tennessee. The delta of Eastern Arkansas and the Mid-South introduced me to a variety of new experiences and railroads as well as a bit of "Culture Shock". In 1995 I received his BA in Political Science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
While in Arkansas, I became a fan of the Ex-Frisco (SLSF) railroad mainline which ran through Jonesboro between Memphis and Springfield. It was by then operated by the Burlington Northern and later would be merged into the BNSF.
After college, my work in production management required a transfer to West Plains, Missouri also on the Ex-Frisco mainline. While in West Plains, I met and married his wife Cindy. We were married in 1997 in Iowa on Rosemond Bridge made famous in Robert Waller's Book and Movie "The Bridges of Madison County".
Career moves have resulted in us living in a number of Southern states including Georgia, Florida, and since 2002 in South Carolina. In 2006, we relocated to our current home in Aiken, South Carolina.
While working for a variety of companies, I received myMasters in Business Administration and Masters in Information Systems and hope to teach on the college level in the future.
When not working at my day job, I enjoy photography, writing, travel, and history.
I write several columns on Railroads and Travel as well as blogging on several sites.
Gene's Current Columns
Gene's Blogs
Find Gene on Twitter