RIDE-CT – Classic Cars Celebrating Classic Cars in Connecticut
ESSEX, CT – Some 40 photographers from 20 states will congregate in Connecticut next week for photos shoots involving two Essex Steam Train & Riverboat locomotives. Event organizer and photographer Dak Dillon is seeking a handful of vintage vehicles to pose with them on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Don’t need folks for the full time,” Dillon wrote in a email to RIDE-CT seeking help in lining up volunteers. “We’d incorporate the cars at two or three of the crossings, so we’d just want to time it with when they could be available.”
Dillon supplied some examples of his own work to show how old cars and truck might be used.
Dillon, who lives in St. Loiuis, is hoping to do both daytime and nighttime shoots. “We’ll use two steam engines built in the 1920s, so anything from the 1930s to the 1960s would be period-correct,” he said. Vehicle models up to the 1960s will be welcomed. “I don’t have a strong preference on color. Of course, a color car always looks nice on camera vs a black car.”
The photographers involved in the event “range the spectrum,” Dillon reported. They are train enthusiasts. “This is a avid hobby, taking photos of trains. These events allow folks to have a more controlled environment, so that way we can schedule the train movements, make sure the train looks nice, etc. Basically all the money the photographers pay to attend is used to pay for the train, as coal costs a good bit.”
Dillon continued, “Most folks take photos for their personal enjoyment. Some submit them for calendars, use on social media, etc.”
The late plea for classic car and truck owners who are willing to pose their vehicles was unexpected. “The railroad has a volunteer who has a car, but he can no longer make it,” Dillon explained. He added that the photo shoots can be built around the availability of vehicles. “I’m happy to pay gas and provide copies of the final photos as a thank you.”
Dillon’s email is dak@dakdillon.email if you’re interested in helping make the event a success.
