Okay, so you want to take rail photos. Good! Not to discourage you, but know there is something to the job. First, you need to "look like" a rail fan. Thia is so the cops aren't stopping all the time asking What are you doing? In this post 9-11 age, there are fears about anyone standing around things like railroad tracks and doing GAWD knows what ... So dress like a FOAMER ..
At least this outfit says "TRAIN" - and most will leave you alone after awhile -- but know -- the public is still a big pain. I hate the constant asking -- "Steam train coming?" -- So try to take your photos where there is the least amount of passing traffic, or off a highway where they can't just stop and pester you.
Okay, the ATCS is up on the laptop, the whole shebang is loaded into the car, rail radio on it's own stand, the puter on a "car table" so it is handy and secure, a "train tenna" on top -- mine is a 5/8 band length, about 45 inches, and draws well from all over the area ... keep all doors locked and you keys with you at all times, and just for safety, carry a spare key in your wallet... safety tip ...
NOW to find a train. Looking at the ATCS, I note than the CN has a southbound coming from Fondy. Currently he is at Duplainville North, and has about 3 miles to go where I am. Track speed in this section is 45 MPH, except for oil trains, 25 MPH -- Okay, now to find someplace to park the car, secure with all the gear in it, and not where you are going to get a ticket for "trespassing" -- nother problem - and walk over to the tracks, stay on the public right of way, or roadside -- post 9-11 they are getting jumpy about this too, and somebody we know got a $250.00 ticket for trespassing on the railroad. So stay on some kind of public right of way.
Okay, train has cleared the Duplainville diamond, and is now heading south. Around the bend you can see the headlight, but he is still a good mile up. Time to wait, get your camera ready ... First shot as he approaches, on telephoto setting ...
Problems with this shot? First that stupid 1/4 mile marker - and way too much around the thing, off center, rule of thirds again, and & etc. Hit the button and shift the camera into wide angle, and try again. Remember, this thing is moving at you at 45 MPH ...
OKAY!! Much better shot. This is the secret of good rail photo work, knowing when to drop the shutter, and how to frame the thing so you minimize the junk around it, avoid signs and other things which will have to come out in post production work.
Now that you got the shot, how does it look? This one above is what I posted right out of the camera. Now to go into a photo editor and make it really POP ... I use Photoscape for JPEG photos, and Lightbox for RAW shots, out of the Nikon ...
Here we see the finished photo. It has been straightened, and we added some contrast, middle, and some added saturation, middle, and applied about 4 sharp to it. Those are the things off the editor's menu in which you can change the photo. All we need do now is save, and go on to the next photo, then post on a photo sharing web site, I use Flicker, and then post to sites like this ...
JUST compare the photos and you will see how it progresses along. IF done right the colors will pop, the thing will look like you saw it and in the end you produce a good postable photo ... Need more? Ask me ... I am open to almost any question ...
Sinifar
