I hadn’t really planned to post another photo from the recent Pullman Rail Journeys “Varsity” operation between Chicago and Madison, Wis., having put a few up on the Trains Facebook page. But this one (click on the image to see a full-size version) received so much favorable comment from friends — even those not interested in railroading — that I thought it might be worth passing along as an illustration of the value of occasionally trying to shoot in less than optimal lighting.
In exploring the northern reaches of Metra commuter service out of Chicago, one of the better spots I’ve found is an S-curve just before outbound trains reach the Libertyville, Ill., station on the Milwaukee-North line. I knew it was a spot I wanted to try to shoot the Iowa Pacific E8s.
But when I arrived in Libertyville on Saturday the 11th, I realized the light was wrong for a morning shot; the curve would mostly be backlit when the train arrived sometime after 7:15 a.m. I debated going someplace else but decided I’d just stay and see what I could get.
What you see is the result — with the morning sun reflecting off the side of the train — but even then, it was a near thing. The sun was still below the tree line when I took this shot; had the train been a couple of minutes later, the sun probably would have been shining into the lens and ruined the photo.
But things worked out.
Oh, and the going-away shot? The lighting was perfect.
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