Gene Bowker was born and raised in Poway, California and currently lives in Aiken, South Carolina.
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 of Adams 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 significant influence on my work is the Black and White work of O. Winston Link . Link'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 well worth a visit.
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 feel of historical America.
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 railroading 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 and Amtrak, and I have fond memories of catching Amtrak San Diegan trains at the San Diego Santa Fe Station with my parents at a young age for rides to Los Angeles.
My first experiences with steam trains were visiting Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm as a child, later I rode the Cumbres and Toltec in Colorado/New Mexico.
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 traveled the US via Amtrak. This experience gave me a love of long-distance travel and the ability to truly see what America is about from ground level, which is much more unique than the view at 30,000 feet on a jet liner.
In 1990, I relocated to Eastern Arkansas near Memphis, Tennessee. The Delta and the Mid-South introduced me to a variety of new experiences and railroads as well as a bit of "Culture Shock".
I attended Arkansas State University - Jonesboro, where I also became a fan of the Frisco (St. Louis & San Francisco), which ran between Memphis and Springfield, by then operated by the Burlington Northern and later would be merged into the BNSF. In 1995 I received my BA in Political Science.
After college, my work required a transfer to West Plains, Missouri also on the Ex-Frisco mainline. While in West Plains, I met and married my 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.
When not working at my day job in, I enjoy photography, writing, travel, and history.
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 of Adams 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 significant influence on my work is the Black and White work of O. Winston Link . Link'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 well worth a visit.
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 feel of historical America.
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 railroading 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 and Amtrak, and I have fond memories of catching Amtrak San Diegan trains at the San Diego Santa Fe Station with my parents at a young age for rides to Los Angeles.
My first experiences with steam trains were visiting Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm as a child, later I rode the Cumbres and Toltec in Colorado/New Mexico.
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 traveled the US via Amtrak. This experience gave me a love of long-distance travel and the ability to truly see what America is about from ground level, which is much more unique than the view at 30,000 feet on a jet liner.
In 1990, I relocated to Eastern Arkansas near Memphis, Tennessee. The Delta and the Mid-South introduced me to a variety of new experiences and railroads as well as a bit of "Culture Shock".
I attended Arkansas State University - Jonesboro, where I also became a fan of the Frisco (St. Louis & San Francisco), which ran between Memphis and Springfield, by then operated by the Burlington Northern and later would be merged into the BNSF. In 1995 I received my BA in Political Science.
After college, my work required a transfer to West Plains, Missouri also on the Ex-Frisco mainline. While in West Plains, I met and married my 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.
When not working at my day job in, I enjoy photography, writing, travel, and history.
Gene Bowker