Monthly Archives: June 2014

photography

Boston Green Line Subway—Tracking the Light Daily Post.

Leave a comment

Two Years ago Today—June 2, 2012.

I’d been making photos on Boston’s Green Line for 40 years. Albeit I was a bit shorter for my first efforts using my Dad’s M3 in the early 1970s.

Subway photos on Kodachrome were a real challenge. I never knew if I’d gotten anything at all until the film came back weeks later. But that didn’t stop me from trying.

Boston's Green Line Subway at North Station on June 2, 2012. Exposed with a Canon 7D with 28-135mm lens.
Boston’s Green Line Subway at North Station on June 2, 2012. Exposed with a Canon 7D with 28-135mm lens.

Digital photography technique is a real boon for subway images. For these photos I’d racked up the ISO setting to 2000 and worked with a telelphoto zoom. That was inconceivable in my film days.

Boston's Green Line Subway at North Station on June 2, 2012. Exposed with a Canon 7D with 28-135mm image stabilization zoom lens.
Boston’s Green Line Subway at North Station on June 2, 2012. Exposed with a Canon 7D with 28-135mm image stabilization zoom lens.

Boston’s subways have changed quite a bit since my early photos; modern cameras for modern images.

Happy 2nd Anniversary Tim & Leslie!

Tracking the Light posts new material every morning.

Please share Tracking the Light!

http://briansolomon.com/trackingthelight/

 

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
photography

Station Stop Raleigh—TRACKING THE LIGHT SPECIAL POST.

Leave a comment

10:20 am June 1, 2014.

At crew changes and other convenient points, Amtrak schedule’s ‘smoke breaks’ where passengers can get off the train, stretch their legs, enjoy the fresh air, and, in my case, make photos of the train.

I had about ten minutes at Raleigh, North Carolina this morning to make photos train 80, Carolinian during this momentary pause. By that time, I’d been on the train for more than 3 hours, with nearly another nine hours to go.

Rather than tow the whole camera kit, I just carried the Panasonic Lumix LX 7, which is light, easy to use, and is capable of making extremely sharp images.

Playing with the external Lumix Live View Finder, I adjusted this vertically, which allowed me to place the camera very close to the ground without the need for lying belly first on platform.

Exposed with a Lumix LX-7 using the Live View external finder. Camera set in 'A' (Aperture Priority) mode with a minus 1/3 exposure over ridge to compensate for the bright platform, bleached station sign and bright sky. This forces the camera to make a slight darker image.
Exposed with a Lumix LX-7 using the Live View external finder. Camera set in ‘A’ (Aperture Priority) mode with a minus 1/3 exposure over ride to compensate for the bright platform, bleached station sign and bright sky. This forces the camera to make a slight darker image

The low angle with a slightly telephoto view provides a clean dramatic perspective that minimizes unnecessary and visually distracting foreground.

Number 80's conductor. Amtrak's crew was very friendly.
Number 80’s conductor. Amtrak’s crew was very friendly.

Check my Streamliners at Spencer page for photos of North Carolina Transportation Museum’s special event.

Tracking the Light posts new material Daily.

Please Share!

 

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
photography

Carolinian Morning Glint—TRACKING THE LIGHT SPECIAL POST

Leave a comment

Transmitted from the Train June 1, 2014.

Following three and half successful days of photography at Spencer, North Carolina, Pat Yough and I boarded Amtrak 80, Carolinian at Charlotte this morning before 7am.

Charlotte, North Carolina at 6:35am June 1, 2014. Lumix LX-7 photo.
Charlotte, North Carolina at 6:35am June 1, 2014. Lumix LX-7 photo.
Charlotte, North Carolina at 6:35am June 1, 2014. Lumix LX-7 photo.
Charlotte, North Carolina at 6:35am June 1, 2014. Lumix LX-7 photo.

We departed on time at 7am. In the lead is Amtrak P42 number 168. It was a strange sensation pausing a Salisbury and passing the Spencer Shops having just spent so much time there. The view from the train always offers a different perspective than being on the ground, or seeing a place from the road.

Salisbury Station, North Carolina. June 1, 2014. Lumix LX-7 photo.
Salisbury Station, North Carolina. June 1, 2014. Lumix LX-7 photo.
Salisbury, North Carolina. June 1, 2014. Lumix LX-7 photo.
Salisbury, North Carolina. June 1, 2014. Lumix LX-7 photo.

As I write this we are heading toward Raleigh. I’m destined for Philadelphia. Presently, I’m reviewing, analyzing, and scaling hundreds of images I made at the event, plus side trips. I’ll be posting more images and commentary over the next few days.

Amtrak train number 80. June 1, 2014.
Amtrak train number 80. June 1, 2014.

Check my Streamliners at Spencer page for photos of the event.

 

Tracking the Light posts new material EVERY day!

Please Share!

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
photography

Irish Rail at Killiney—Tracking the Light Daily Post

1 Comment

Ammonia Train in May 2001.

Back then, Irish Rail operated three daily ammonia trains between Marino Point, County Cork and Shelton Abbey near Arklow, County Wicklow. These were tightly scheduled and normally operated with the common 201-class General Motors diesels.

I was tuned into these trains, and made an effort to catch them in interesting locations. The traffic ended with little warning in 2002, so the photos I made are now prized images!

Irish Rail class 201 number 204 leads a laden Ammonia train above the Irish Sea at Killiney. Is that U2's Bono waving off in the distance? Exposed on Kodak Tri-X with a Rolleiflex Model T f3.5 Tessar lens, processed in Ilford ID11 (special mix and time, 1:1 with water.)
Irish Rail class 201 number 204 leads a laden Ammonia train above the Irish Sea at Killiney. Is that U2’s Bono waving off in the distance? Exposed on Kodak Tri-X with a Rolleiflex Model T f3.5 Tessar lens, processed in Ilford ID11 (special mix and time, 1:1 with water.)

In addition to color slides, I exposed thousands of black & white images of Irish railways on 120 size film between 1999 and 2005 (and a few here and there since).

Most of these photos have never seen the light of day. This rare photo of the Ammonia train was just one of several exposures I made on that bright May afternoon in 2001.

Why didn’t I make a color photo? And who said I didn’t? Must color and black & white be mutual exclusive? Why not make a color photo and convert it later? Why color anyway?

I’ve often worked with multiple formats at the same time. Black & white has a number of advantages and I’ve long prided myself on mastering this archaic image-making process.

For more on the Ammonia Train see my earlier Tracking the Light post: http://briansolomon.com/trackingthelight/tag/ammonia-train/

Tracking the Light posts new material every morning.

Please share Tracking the Light!

http://briansolomon.com/trackingthelight/

 

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta