Chris' Rail Photo Tips - Lesson 2: My Number One Secret

[chad s thomas]

Was wondering where you were Chris . Good to see you're still around .

[samfp1943]

overall

Thank you for taking the time to do this. I always look forward to your posts because they are so well written. I have a Nikon D60 which does not lend itself well to night time photography, but I will still give it a try.

Exactly, What Overaall said! 

     Thanks for sharing these tips with us!

[john_edwards]

The best accessory you will ever get for your camera is a good steady (not cheap) tripod.  You don't necessarily need ISO 800.

John

[Norm48327]

overall

Thank you for taking the time to do this. I always look forward to your posts because they are so well written. I have a Nikon D60 which does not lend itself well to night time photography, but I will still give it a try.

I have a D-50, and when I want to do low light photos I simply raise the ISO to around 800. I normally shoot daylight at 400. That sends Canon owners into fits.

[overall]

Thank you for taking the time to do this. I always look forward to your posts because they are so well written. I have a Nikon D60 which does not lend itself well to night time photography, but I will still give it a try.

[ChuckCobleigh]

Soooo simple.

Sooooooo true.

Or to put it another way: "To make pictures that are out of the ordinary, seek times and locations that are out of the ordinary."

"High Noon" was great for Gary Cooper, not so much for imaging.

[tree68]

Great advice.  Let me add an example from my own experience.

When my aunt had a cottage on Lake Ontario, my sister and her husband would come from Colorado every year or two.  Both have many years of memories of the locale.

One regular activity during these visits was a walk across the point to view (and photograph) the sunset.  Normally those doing so would stand on the shore and shoot across the lake.  Another point provided the only break in the sky/water "interface."

During one such sunset walk that I took part in, I backed up a few feet and framed the setting sun with a tree, fireplace, and a bench that was behind everyone standing on the shore.

Huge difference - a snapshot of the sunset turned into a portrait.

So it can be with any photographer, whether they're shooting a high-end DSLR or their cell phone.  Look for what others aren't shooting - be it the time of day, conditions, or just where you're shooting from.  As Chris implies - you won't regret it.

 

[CopCarSS]

Hey Gang,

Sorry it's been so long since my last lesson. Life managed to happen yet again and every time I think I'll have the free time to sit down and pen a lesson, something comes up. I don't have a ton of time today, either, so this one will be short. To make up for that deficiency, though, I'll make it worth your while and give away what I consider is my number one secret to great rail shots:

Shoot when no one else is.

Or maybe when most people aren't. Anyone can take a well lit wedgie on a nice day. And the photo will no doubt be a nice documentary shot. But you know as well as I do that we've all seen our share of sunny wedgies, and honestly, they get a bit boring after awhile.

If you want to take your rail photography to another level without changing much, simply go out when most other railfans have already put their cameras away and they're sitting in their recliners reading their newest issues of Trains. Is it raining? Snowing? The middle of the night? Yeah, the pictures are going to be a bit tougher to get and you may not be as comfy as you'd be with your magazine in your recliner. Guess what, though, there's going to be drama to those shots that you can't get on a lovely sunny day.

Here are two of my shots that were taken when most normal Denverites were in their comfy homes. The first was taken during the midst of Colorado's recent deluges and the other was taken during a blizzard:

Flickr Link

Flickr Link

And there you have it, my number one tip. I'll try not to take so long between episodes this time and have another lesson up soon!