Night Railfanning?

[CBT]

Hi, I would like to upgrad from shining the cars light onto the tracks for night shots, to a light. Any suggestions on a type of light i could use to shine on the trains other than headlights? 

Thanks,  

       Chris

[RME]

There's a wide range of discussion on synchronized flash (for use with a camera).  The problem, which you should always keep foremost in mind, is that when you light up the subject, you also light up the crew, who are on the 'receiving end' of the photon flux, very suddenly, usually when they need their night vision intact to do their job.  No one should be expected to like lightning in their faces, particularly when it's some guy who just wants a train picture. 

I made up a set of IR floods, for use with the "0 lux" cameras whose imaging elements are sensitive into the infrared, to avoid this issue (but of course the tonal range of "night" shots in IR has to be corrected for the result to look like a traditional version).  If you are not just 'watching trains' this might be a solution for you to consider.

If using car lights, and not taking pictures, things that 'bounce' the light around or diffuse it might be a reasonable solution.  See the silver 'umbrellas' portrait photographers use for this general purpose; you can also get some 12V area lighting (that can run in a pinch off an idling car's battery terminals -- don't do this with the car shut off unless you have a good way to start it with a low battery!) or even a couple of those 'million-candlepower spotlights' that plug in or recharge from what used to be called the 'cigar lighter' ... instead of using them as a spot beam, you defocus for more widespread or softer light.  You can even 'baffle' with cardboard cut to the rough shape of the part of the equipment you want to illuminate ... or the parts you want to shield, if you catch my drift.

[zugmann]

RME

No one should be expected to like lightning in their faces, particularly when it's some guy who just wants a train picture.

Unless you are using tons and tons of flashes, a few alien bees (or soemthing similar) aren't that blinding.  I've had my train flashed at night and it was more of a "what was that?" sort of thing.  Everything stayed on the rail. 

[CBT]

Thank you guys, Im going to see the CP Christmas train in Romulus, MI tomorrow and it will be dark by the time i get there Thanks, Chris

[ATSFGuy]

I've seen night railfanning videos on YouTube.  Do trains look better during the day or at night?

[tree68]

ATSFGuy

I've seen night railfanning videos on YouTube.  Do trains look better during the day or at night?

Something like the holiday train will look best at night.

For an idea of whether regular trains look best day or night, visit the Rochelle webcam...

If you are shooting at night, with appropriate light, do so with a decent camera that can handle the low light.

[BaltACD]

tree68

ATSFGuy

I've seen night railfanning videos on YouTube.  Do trains look better during the day or at night?

Something like the holiday train will look best at night.

For an idea of whether regular trains look best day or night, visit the Rochelle webcam...

If you are shooting at night, with appropriate light, do so with a decent camera that can handle the low light.

There is so much car detail viewable after dark [/sarcasm]

In the right creative hands, light and dark can creating memorable images - without the right creative hands all that generally is produced is fuzzy darkness.

[DS4-4-1000]

I wish we would have had video cameras when I was going to college in the mid 1970s.  We would sometimes go to the Horseshoe Curve at night and watch the procession.  The trains coming downhill, especially those loaded with coal or steel products, would have every wheel surrounded by a circle of sparks.  Those brake shoes sure got a workout.  It would have made a wonderful video.