The UKRP album: is it
time to raise the stakes?

When you preview or better still buy a copy of the UKRP 2011 Album you will read David Wilcock’s foreword to the book.

David makes the comment:

“Within the UKRP membership are some of the most accomplished railway photographers in the world - by definition ‘amateurs’, but regularly producing work to the highest professional standards.”

He goes on to say:

“With such ‘top-drawer’ material as an anchor, I’m sure the UKRP album could go ‘national’, and that one or other of the established railway publishing houses would jump at the chance of producing it. We wouldn’t be talking copy sales of 40 or 50 books then, but a print run of a minimum of 1,000 or 1,500 copies, with sales through both the high street and steam railway gift shops – a considerable raising of the group’s profile.”

“Photographically, we – all of us – would need to raise our game. But isn’t that one of the tenets for which the group exists anyway – to encourage and raise standards? And if we got it right, the ‘profits’ cheque we send to our chosen charity in 2012, could easily run into four figures.”

“Think about it. It’s your call.”

From my point of view I would be happy to continue to compile the Album, but we would need commitment from more members to submit work to the project. Perhaps this may lead to some discussion within the group?

I would like to thanks the 50 members who gladly gave their photographs to the project and indirectly to Help For Heroes.

Especial thanks go to David Wilcock and Ed Hurst for bashing our use of the Queen’s English into shape.

You can order a copy of our album direct from Blurb using the link beow.

Alan Crotty

http://www.blurb.co.uk/bookstore/detail/3257875