I recently did an editorial shoot for Canadian Pacific Railroad for a story they were doing on one of their veteran railroader’s, Mike French. However, figuring out where to meet up with him was going to be a bit of a challenge. Originally I was to meet the train Mike was on somewhere near Mankato, Minnesota, but at the last minute I learned that they wouldn’t be stopping there after all and I would need to drive another 90 miles to Walnut Grover, Minnesota. Once there I waited on a gravel road for another hour as they moved train cars around and eventually parked the engine. I was getting a little nervous as the light was quickly disappearing and I was afraid it would be too dark by the time he was finished and ready for the shoot. But I had just enough light to get the job done and everything worked out just fine. Mike was an awesome guy and very easy to work with. And although the story was just about him he insisted his crew join him for some of the photos. Afterward, he and the guys headed home to the New Ulm area and I traveled back to Rochester. It was a days work and everyone was happy. Sometimes I drive for 6 hours and shoot for one and other times I shoot for six hours and drive for one. And it’s just that variety that I like about my job.
Dean Riggott is a professional photographer based in Rochester, Minnesota. He specializes in commercial, corporate, editorial and advertising photography. He has been shooting for 34 years and working professionally since 1991. Dean loves shooting environmental portraits, such as those you see in this post. Other favorite subjects include agricultural photography, industrial photography and architectural photography. Dean lives in Rochester, Minnesota, with his three daughters.
