Monthly Archives: May 2014

photography

Gray Engine, Bright Sunny Day

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Islandbridge, Dublin April 29, 2014.

Among the difficulties of living within sight of the railway is the chance that such proximity may breed photographic apathy and slough. One the plus side, when something rumbles by, all I have to do is look out the window!

There are several nice photo locations within a ten minute walk of Islandbridge. On the downside, over the last decade I’ve covered these nearly to the point of exhaustion. Yet, that doesn’t keep me from taking advantage of them.

Shortly before 11am on Tuesday April 29, 2014, I heard the distinct roar of an Irish Rail 071 class diesel (built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division). I glanced out the window to see a gray locomotive roll into the Phoenix Park tunnel with a wagon transfer for Dublin’s North Wall.

Ah! A grey locomotive and the elusive wagon transfer!

I made a call to alert a friend, and a short while later I got a call back to say that the wagon transfer had collected three flats and was on its way back. The locomotive was 085 which wears a variation of the gray and yellow livery introduced a year ago.

Irish Rail 085 with three flat wagons approaches Islandbridge Junction on April 29, 2014. Canon EOS 7D with 100mm lens. I opted for vertical composition to feature the monumental Wellington Testimonial that sits in Dublin's Phoenix Park. (Exposed at f9 1/500th of a second ISO 200).
Irish Rail 085 with three flat wagons approaches Islandbridge Junction on April 29, 2014. Canon EOS 7D with 100mm lens. I opted for vertical composition to feature the monumental Wellington Testimonial that sits in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. (Exposed at f9 1/500th of a second ISO 200).

It was a rare clear sunny morning, and I was keen to make a color slide of this engine passing Islandbridge Junction. Armed with good information, I walked five minutes up the road to my often-used location and waited. Less than 15 minutes passed before 085 appeared from the tunnel with the three flats.

A closer horizontal view with the same camera-lens combination. I adjusted the exposure by a one-third stop, opening to f8.0 to compensate for the lack of sky in the image. Locomotive 085 features a variation of the gray and yellow paint scheme introduced last year. This features the traditional three-digit locomotive number in larger fonts on the cab. This in addition to the recently introduced European multiple number printed in tiny type elsewhere on the engine.
A closer horizontal view with the same camera-lens combination. I adjusted the exposure by a one-third stop, opening to f8.0 to compensate for the lack of sky in the image. Locomotive 085 features a variation of the gray and yellow paint scheme introduced last year. This features the traditional three-digit locomotive number in larger fonts on the cab. This in addition to the recently introduced European multiple number printed in tiny type elsewhere on the engine.

I exposed a few digital images with my Canon EOS 7D and 100mm lens, before executing a color slide (or two) with my EOS 3 with 40mm lens. I was home less than 30 minutes after leaving. Back to the book writing! I’m presently researching a book on North American signaling.

Tracking the Light posts new material every morning.

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Tomorrow: View from a Castle.

 

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photography

East Broad Top number 12—Daily Post

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Rockhill Furnace, October 12, 1997.

It was a foggy dawn at Rockhill Furnace, Pennsyvlania on the second day of East Broad Top’s annual ‘Fall Spectacular’. Mike Gardner and I had arrived the day before for the event.

I exposed this view with a Nikon N90S with f2.8 80-200mm Nikon zoom lens.
I exposed this view with a Nikon N90S with f2.8 80-200mm Nikon zoom lens.

Low dew point resulted in a cosmic mix of mist, steam exhaust and locomotive smoke.What I remember best was the clanging of locomotive bells and the soft whoosh of exhaust.

By 10 am the sun had burned off the fog and it was a glorious Pennsylvania day.

Tracking the Light posts new material every morning.

Please share Tracking the Light with everyone who may enjoy it!

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Tomorrow: Proximity and Apathy?

 

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San Francisco PCC in Kansas City Colors—Daily Post

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 Embarcadero May 2008

I was on the San Francisco Embarcadero in May 2008. A very thing fog was tempering the morning sun. Using my Canon EOS 3 with 24mm lens, I exposed this view of Muni PCC dressed for Kansas City Public Service working the ‘F-line.’ The similarity in the colors of the car and buildings in the background works well in the soft morning sun, while the wide angle views places the streetcar in its environment. I like the way the wires and tracks frame the car. San Francisco operates a fleet of historic streetcars, many of them PCC dressed in the liveries used by cities that had operated PCCs. Would another color car have worked as well in this scene?
San Francisco operates a fleet of historic streetcars, many of them PCC dressed in the liveries used by cities that had operated PCCs. Would another color car have worked as well in this scene?
I was on the San Francisco Embarcadero in May 2008. A very thin fog was tempering the morning sun. Using my Canon EOS 3 with 24mm lens, I exposed this view of Muni PCC dressed for Kansas City Public Service working the ‘F-line.’

The similarity in the colors of the car and buildings in the background works well in the soft morning sun, while the wide angle views places the streetcar in its environment. I like the way the wires and tracks frame the car.

Tracking the Light posts new material every morning.

Please share Tracking the Light with everyone who may enjoy it!

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Tips and Technique

Daily Post—LUAS on Abbey Street.

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Making use of April Evening Light.

Years ago, I noticed that in mid-April the evening sun floods Abbey Street in Dublin with low warm bright light. This only lasts for a few weeks. During the winter, the street is largely shadowed and in summer the evening sun swings too far to the north.

The other day, I walked along the LUAS Red Line on my way into the City Centre. Where Abbey Street crosses Capel Street there’s a bit of jog in the tracks which allows for an interesting perspective with a telephoto lens.

Looking east on Abbey Street in Dublin, April 25, 2014.
Looking east on Abbey Street in Dublin, April 25, 2014.
Inbound and outbound LUAS trams pass near the Jervis Stop.
Inbound and outbound LUAS trams pass near the Jervis Stop.
The 100mm lens allows for moderate compression of the scene and makes use of the jog in the tracks.
The 100mm lens allows for moderate compression of the scene and makes use of the jog in the tracks. A 400mm lens will look much farther down the street and bring in a hint of Irish Rail’s Loop Line Bridge.
One last image before the LUAS tram whizzes by me.
One last image before the LUAS tram whizzes by me.

In past years, I’ve worked this spot with some really long lenses. However on this occasion I took a more conservative approach, choosing my Canon 100mm.

It was a Friday evening so there were lots of people on the street and outbound trams were full with passengers heading home.

Tracking the Light posts new material every morning.

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Tomorrow: PCC Car in Morning Light.

 

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photography, Tips and Technique

On Location in Portugal.

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Surveying Places for Photography on the CP Mainline near Vale de Figuera.

An express passenger train glides upgrade near Vale de Figueira, Portugal. Exposed with a Canon EOS 7D with 20mm lens. This location didn't jump out at me on the map, but it still warranted inspection. It turned out to be much better than I hoped for trains in the southward direction.
An express passenger train glides upgrade near Vale de Figueira, Portugal. Exposed with a Canon EOS 7D with 20mm lens. This location didn’t jump out at me on the map, but it still warranted inspection. It turned out to be much better than I hoped for trains in the southward direction.

Using Google Maps, I’d pre-selected a variety of locations on Comboios de Portugal’s main line between Entroncamento and Santarem that I thought warranted investigation.

The great thing about modern tools is that they can save a great deal of time searching for photographic angles with minimum investment.

Back in the old days, I spent hours in libraries scouring USGS topographical maps and making photo copies of same in preparation for a trip.

Today, I simply go to Google Earth and make screen shots on my iPad of various maps and satellite views of prospective locations which I file for reference when navigating. Street view can offer additional perspectives.

I realize there are even more efficient ways to accomplish this, but I’m ‘old-school’ in my basic approach.

Finding a spot on a map is all well and good, but I still find it imperative to inspect locations in person and on the ground.

A place that looks good on a map or satellite view, may prove be unworkable for a variety of reasons; line-side brush, fences and other obstructions may interfere with photography, elevation may be too high or too low. Access may be restricted or difficult to obtain. Lines with overhead electrification can prove especially difficult.

Sometimes, a location that seemed uninspiring on a map proves to be just the right spot.

Case in point: these photos were made from an overhead bridge north of Vale de Figueira on a short steeply grade section of mainline.

What I liked about the location was the curves in the track, the texture of plants in the cutting, and the distinctively scenic backdrop. On the downside, this place would have been better a couple hours earlier in the day, as the light was harsher than I’d like.

The S-curve allowed for a dynamic perspective for northward trains, but by early afternoon the lighting was pretty harsh. This may have been a better spot for northward trains much earlier in the day. I photographed this double-headed electric coal train downgrade using my Canon EOS 7D with 20mm lens. By cropping the sky, I minimized the difficult contrast.
The S-curve allowed for a dynamic perspective for northward trains, but by early afternoon the lighting was pretty harsh. This may have been a better spot for northward trains much earlier in the day. I photographed this double-headed electric coal train downgrade using my Canon EOS 7D with 20mm lens. By cropping the sky, I minimized the difficult contrast.

Tracking the Light posts new material every morning.

Please share Tracking the Light with everyone who may enjoy it!

http://briansolomon.com/trackingthelight/

Tomorrow: Urban view with a telephoto lens!

 

 

 

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Little Falls, New York—Conrail Local

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January 3, 1989.

The old New York Central Mohawk Division is an enigmatic stretch of railroad. It’s very old. It has lots of history. It passes through some stunning scenery. It carries lots of traffic. And it can be really difficult to photograph.

Access to the line is limited, elevation is often in the wrong places, and trains seem to run in the wrong direction or at the wrong times. Or, following holidays, it seems that trains are absent altogether. Yet, when driving the New York State Thruway, it seems that every time you look across at the tracks there’s a train racing along.

On this day, I was driving west under sunny skies. I joined the Mohawk at Amsterdam, New York where I found Conrail B23-7 1999 working a local freight—hard out of the morning sun. A blanket of lake effect snow covered the ground. Hmm.

Very little else was moving, but I caught one of Amtrak’s Empire Corridor trains at Fonda. Then took my time to explore locations.

At Little Falls, I again caught up with this Conrail B23-7. At the time it was the booby prize, but I’m glad I took the time to make photographs.

Conrail’s General Electric-built B23-7 1999 works sidings along the old New York Central Mohawk Division at Little Falls, New York on January 3, 1989. I exposed this Kodachrome slide using my Leica M2 with 50mm Summicron lens. A layer of high cloud had dampened the sun.
Conrail’s General Electric-built B23-7 1999 works sidings along the old New York Central Mohawk Division at Little Falls, New York on January 3, 1989. I exposed this Kodachrome slide using my Leica M2 with 50mm Summicron lens. A layer of high cloud had dampened the sun.

Ten years later, Conrail faded into history. My dad and I made photographs along the Mohawk on Conrail’s final day.

Tracking the Light posts new material every morning.

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Tomorrow: using modern tools to find locations.

 

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