Low light photography

Low-light Photography:

One of my favorite situations while trackside is a high-contrast, low-light scene, which can produce incredibly striking results.

Low light is defined by the time around sunrise or sunset. However, some weather condition, like heavy rain, fog, or just a flat-out 'dark' scene, could also be defined as low light and likewise produce a striking result.

When I’m trackside, I seek out low light. It challenges me as a photographer, enabling me to capture something out of the ordinary. Working with difficulties like: extremely high ISOs, a slow shutter speed and, of course, the infamous ditch lights (which can cause glare, easily ruining an image) are several challenges I face.

 
With all these factors in play, capturing a low light image that really stands out is tough, but it can be done with persistence and patience.

 
Instead of leaving after the shadows overtake the track, I try and wait out the last remaining minutes of light to see what I can capture. The mood and concept of railroading is sometimes best captured in low light. A powerful motion blur, the train's ditch lights illuminating a structure, or just a simple low-light scene with a train frozen within it, are all good examples.

Photographers face challenges when shooting in low light, but when you get a striking image, the effort is always well worth it!

Now, let’s take a look at several examples I have taken this year. I’ve provided Exif data for those of you who are curious what my settings were.

With a bone-chilling winter wind howling, darkness descends along the ex-Norfolk & Western, as eastbound time freight No. 38Q knocks down the signal at Stones Mill in Wytheville, Va., with a quartet of GEs powering the train on Dec. 30, 2012. The engineer has the throttle in notch 8, making up lost time caused by multiple train meets.

ISO Speed: 125, F-stop: 7.1, Shutter Speed: 1/4th

It's just after sunrise, and the sound of an approaching train fills the quiet morning air with flanges squealing and the rumble of locomotives operating in dynamics. No. 233 trundles westbound through Pembroke, Va., with a couple of visitors from the BNSF Railway powering the train. Distant mountain snow showers loom behind the train on this bitter-cold February 2013 morning.

ISO Speed: 2500, F-Stop: 5, Shutter Speed: 1/250th

A mine backdrop clearly denotes we are in the coal fields, as a pair of newer 8100 series locomotives shove hard on the rear of No. 272, while passing through Keystone, W.Va., around sunset. The quiet town awakes to the passing train, as the sound of engines in notch 8 echo throughout the valley. Norfolk Southern's Pennsylvania heritage locomotive does the honors of bringing up the rear of the long auto-rack train on Feb. 16, 2013.

ISO Speed: 640, F-Stop: 8, Shutter Speed: 1/250th

The sun sets and a round of snow showers prepare to move through, as No. 80T shakes the ground in Raven, Va., as the engineer notches-out the two GEs after making a pick up at Alfredon Yard around the curve on March 21, 2013.  Even with two ES44ACs on the rear, it will take the train nearly two hours to make Bluefield because of steep grades and multiple 10-15 mph curves along the 35-mile trek via the ex-N&W Clinch Valley District.

ISO Speed: 1000, F-Stop: 5, Shutter Speed: 1/250th

The sun has just set behind the surrounding hills, as the sound of an approaching hopper train breaks the stillness of a quiet spring evening. Soon, the clean Southern heritage locomotive leads No. 811 across a small creek in Hale's Gap, W.Va., with an extremely long train in tow en-route to Mullens, W.Va.

ISO Speed: 2500, F-Stop: 5, Shutter Speed: 1/400th

Darkness falls, as a monster eastbound coal train crawls into White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., while passing classic former C&O signals on the journey toward Clifton Forge via the Allegheny Subdivision on May 19, 2013. The pair of bright-future AC4400s are notched out and moving less than 15 mph, as the train marches toward the summit at Allegheny Tunnel, about 5 miles east.

ISO Speed: 1250, F-Stop: 6.3, Shutter Speed: 1/250th

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