One of the great advantages of working public relations for a major railroad was the places the work took you (that you'd otherwise probably never see).
And one of those places was Letchworth State Park, a clarinet-shaped place of woods and history, where the Genesee River plunged into a canyon of silt, shale, and sandstone.
Norfolk Southern's Buffalo Line ran over a waterfall in that canyon, creating a breathtaking scene of rushing water, steel, and diesel-powered commerce, but after more than a century, that bridge needed to be replaced.
Thus why the PR work took me to Letchworth several times during my career; as it turns out, simply replacing a rickety bridge more than a century old can, occasionally, be less-than popular
Every time, the trusty Canon bodies, lenses, the tripod, and neutral density filters came along.
The place is spectacular any time of year, but it perhaps unveils its full glory in Autumn, when the splashes of orange, red, and brown contrast beautifully with the at-time teal color of the falls.
I'm returning to Letchworth for the first time in about 10 years, which is hard to fathom. I haven't seen the new arch bridge yet, but I'm thrilled to return and make new images of a place I once grew fond of.
It believe it will feel like seeing it with fresh eyes, 10 years of maturing as a photographer, 10 years of time and space that have passed since that young man in a blazer and collared shirt stepped onto the stage of national public relations, a chapter that now feels so long ago, replaced by who I am now, living my best photo life.
Dave Pidgeon is a long-time writer and photographer. He lives in Lancaster, Pa., with his three boys. You can contact him at dave@pidgeonseyeview.com.
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