A southbound Canadian National train races through the night at Duplainville, Wis. Canon EOS 30D, 7/26/2011, 10.0 sec (Bulb), f/8, ISO 200, 18mm, handheld shutter release. Drew Halverson photo
After a great round of golf (I shot an 89 and whopped up on Trains Art Director Tom Danneman, Senior Graphic Designer Scott Krall, and Single Copy Sales Director Jerry Burstein), I decided it was time to try another night shot. Being near Canadian National's Fond du Lac, Wis.-Chicago main line, I had the perfect opportunity.
What I like:
The straight lines caused by the locomotive lights that slice through the darkness. I also like the background glow from the city, just above the tree line.
What I don't like:
I wasn't able to pull out any foreground detail. However, I don't think it's possible without a lamp setup.
What I learned:
Even if you forget your tripod, you can use sturdy, flat objects to make these night shots work. In this case, I used the side of the bridge I'm standing on to give the camera support. I also used a remote shutter release to prevent "camera shake" while pressing the shutter button. Only with a camera that doesn't move can you pull off timed exposures and night shots like this one. By using the manual "BULB" setting, I was able to press and hold the remote shutter button for as long as I wanted without having to use a pre-determined timed setting on the camera. I held it down for about 10 seconds, which was just enough light to show the tree line and the blurring train.
Galleries:
Flickr: "Drew's Fantastic Train Photo Adventure, 2011" Facebook: Trains Magazine Facebook Page
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