Author of more than 70 books on railways, photography, and Ireland, Brian lives with his wife, Kris, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Brian holds a BFA in Photographic Illustration from the Rochester Institute of Technology. In 2022, he was presented with the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society’s prestigious Fred A.& Jane R. Stindt Photography Award for his lifetime achievements in railroad photography.
Me. I’m not picking on anyone. I’m not highlighting lack of talent. These are my photos, and I say they’re awful.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So if you find joy in these pictures, that’s up to you. But these are not the images I would normally display. In fact, typically I’d erase them.
Today, I’m showing them for several reasons.
They are not what I intended to achieve.
They offer good learning examples of what to avoid.
They might aid novice photographers recognize flaws in their own technique.
I think you might find them amusing.
Someone might get rattled and write me a diatribe (for free!)
They disprove a fallacy that every image I make is suitable for publication.
So what went wrong?
Read the captions an find out:
This was part of a panning sequence. To achieve the effect of a train in motion, I’d selected a relatively slow shutter speed and panned the Flirt railcar as it passed at speed. This image was exposed too late. The train is too far away, and instead of capturing the train in motion, all I managed to do was blur the entire image. That’s one for the trash!Another example of a Stadler Flirt photo gone amiss: The bright white train momentarily confused the autofocus system on my FujiFilm X-T1. Instead of selecting an appropriate focus point, the system was hunting for focus when I released the shutter. The result is totally out of focus. Compare the effect of being out focus with that of the above image, which is suffering from motion blur. These are distinct characteristics. While I often use selective focus and motion blur to positive advantage, here they’ve ruined otherwise fine images. If you want to see nicer photos of Stadler Flirts, see: http://wp.me/p2BVuC-3f7We were getting ready to depart for another location when I heard a diesel working northward. I grabbed my Lumix LX7 and went to make a photo, except the train was too close by the time I released the shutter. What’s wrong with this photo? Practically everything! I had the camera set wrong so the shutter speed was too slow. My angle was too tight to the tracks. The train is too close. I cut the top off the engine. The lighting angle is completely wrong (looking into hard mid-morning sun). And to make matters worse, I shook the camera adding extra motion blur to an already bad image. Also, I’m positioned under a roadway that cast a shadow on the front of the train. (Despite all these flaws, I actually was delighted with the photo. It’s so bad, its funny!)
Tracking the Light normally publishes quality images on a daily basis,
Friday night was the 10th Annual Culture Night Event. I walked for miles around town observing and photographing the city on this special night.
Last year my friends and I focused on the North Side, this year we explored the South Side.
To keep things simple I just worked with my Lumix LX7.
A bit of music at Meeting House Square, Temple Bar.Dublin City Hall.Dublin City Hall.
Galery Zozimus, Francis Street.Sword fight, er yeah.Organ at St. Audeons Church.St. Audeons Church.Sunset on Cornmarket Street.Hillybilly music at Christ Church.Tuk tuks at Dublin Castle gate.
There’re some locations that just jump out at you. This view of the Rhein’s Right Bank is one of them. The combination of the river with vineyards rising above punctuated by the ruins of a medieval castle make for a postcard view.
The railway is an added bonus. Red Die Bahn locomotives are a nice touch. It helps to have bright afternoon sun.
Exposed near Rudesheim, Germany using my FujiFilm X-T1
Yesterday, Dublin’s LUAS Red Line made news when a horse went for a spin. Sorry, I don’t have a photo of that escapade.
I did make a few photos of tram 3001 that was traversing Dublin streets in the latest advertising livery.
The evening started off bright, but gradually clouds rolled in from the west and rain followed.
LUAS 3001 approaches Sean Heuston Bridge. 17 September 2015. Lumix LX7 photo.LUAS 3001 crosses Queen Street, Dublin. 17 September 2015. Lumix LX7 photo.LUAS 3001 crosses Queen Street, Dublin. 17 September 2015. Lumix LX7 photo.
In the rain: LUAS 3001 on Benburb Street, Dublin. 17 September 2015. Lumix LX7 photo.In the rain: LUAS 3001 on Benburb Street, Dublin. 17 September 2015. Lumix LX7 photo.
Which weather conditions do you think made for the most interesting images?
There we were, poised at Filsen on the Right Bank line anticipating a northward train, but not knowing what would come around the bend next.
Previously, my attention to the signals, had revealed that once the signal cleared to green, a train would pass within 3-5 minutes. However, more than 8 minutes had passed. I wondered what was the cause of the delay.
Then, we were surprised by a lone DB class 145 electric hauling an exceptional load: twenty axles distributed the weight of this Schnabel railcar.
Exposed on September 11, 2015 using a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.
Exposed on September 11, 2015 using a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.Exposed on September 11, 2015 using a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.
While this was not what I expected to see on the move, my cameras were ready to record what passed. In addition to these digital images, I exposed a 35mm colour slide for posterity.
Flirt at Kaub, Germany. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera from platform level using the positionable rear display.
Right Bank passenger services are largely provided by Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbahn. Trains are operated by VIAS Gmbh as Stadt-Expresses use Stadler Flirt electric multiple units and make local stops between the Koblenz Hbf (on the Left Bank) and the Frankfurt area.
Every hour all day long (with half hourly intervals at peak times) these modern Flirts glide along the supremely scenic Rhein Valley, working between the seemingly continuous parade of freights on the same line.
The cars stand out nicely against lush back drops and make for interesting photographic subjects. The tricky part is selecting the correct exposure to avoid over-exposing the lightly coloured trains.
A northward Flirt approaches Filsen. This early morning service catches the glint of the rising sun. Mist in the air makes for added atmosphere, but complicates the exposure. Here I’ve opted to set the exposure manually to retain highlight-detail on the side of the train. FujiFilm X-T1 photo.A grab shot of a Flirt exposed with my Lumix south of the famous Loreley Rocks.I was focused on the tug boat when this Flirt emerged from the tunnel at Oberwesel. FujiFilm X-T1 photo.Another angle from Oberwesel, this view from the top of an old stone tower that was part of the city walls. FujiFilm X-T1 photo.View from the Right Bank opposite Oberwesel. Lumix LX7 photo.Flirt near Bingen. Exposed with my Lumix LX7.Glinty Flirt reflects in the Rhein near Kaub. FujiFilm X-T1 photo.
Every so often, events in the news play a role in my daily photography. Last week, I was waiting with my friends for a Regional Express on the platform at Mainz, Germany, when an unscheduled train of InterCity carriages arrived.
There was no destination given on the depart boards.
The doors did not open.
No announcement was made.
Exposed hand-held with FujiFilm X-T1 and 27mm lens.
A glance at the passengers on-board told the story. This was a trainload of refugees operated by DB AG as part of a greater humanitarian effort in Germany.
Seeing the people on board, appearing weary and exhausted, I thought of my own ancestors, who more than a century ago fled their home countries to seek a better life.
In the case of last week’s passengers, DB provided a nice comfortable train for this portion of their journey.
After a few minutes pause, the nameless service was on its way again.
Die Bahn/Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) operates an intensive nation-wide railway network. The traffic on many lines is impressive.
Conveying volume in photographs is perhaps best done with image sequences.
On the morning of September 12, 2015, Stephen Hirsch, Denis McCabe, Gerry Conmy and I arrived at the Bonn-Beuel station (located on the Right Bank line between Koln and Koblenz) to make a few photographs.
Our choice of locations was fortuitous. As it turned out, planned line works at the Bonn Hauptbahnhof on the Left Bank line had resulted in diversions, and this normally busy line was pushed to its potential capacity.
In addition to the normal half-hourly passenger service and parade of freights, the line was also handling InterCity and EuroCity long distance express trains, plus a mix of freights that might ordinarily use the Left Bank route.
In addition to the two main tracks, Bonn-Beuel has passing loops (passing sidings), which were well used this day. In several instances, a train was held on the main track, while higher priority traffic was routed via the loops around it.
This selection of images is intended to demonstrate how DB handled a mix of traffic on a double track mainline; keep in mind that stopping passenger trains and freights coexisted on the same route.
I’ve included the time that each photograph was exposed, and organized them in chronological order.
10:35 am. Looking south at Bonn-Beuel. A freight is in the loop, a diverted IC train is northbound, while another diverted IC, southbound, is seen accelerating away from the station in the distance.10:36 am.10:36 am.10:38 am.10:39 am.10:42 am. Notice the southbound freight rolling away on the near line in the distance. I ‘m sorry to say I missed the coming on shot, as I was distracted by the other two freights coming toward me. (One is hidden by the southbound)10:42 am.10:47 am.10:53 am.10:56 am.10:59 am.11:02 am.11:06 am.11:06 am.
I decided to relocate to the island platform, as this offered a better angle for the sun.
11:10 am. Looking north at a southward EC train bound for Switzerland.11:11 am.11:13 am.11:14 am.11:17 am.11:18 am.11:18 am.11:21 am.11:24 am.11:24 am.11:27 am.11:27 am.11:29 am.11:32 am. Regional express arrives.11:33 am. Regional Express departs.11:35 am. Southward IC arrives at Bonn-Beuel.11:36 am. Panoramic composite of a DB class 101 with southward IC train.11:38 am.11;40 am. Notice the southward freight passing in the distance. Obviously my view of this was blocked by the passenger train.
To avoid getting blocked again, I walked further south along the platform.
11:47.11:48 am.11:50 am. An old DB Class 140 in heritage olive green paint.11:53 am.11:59 am.
In February 2010, I was traveling with Chris Guss and Pat Yough when I exposed this Fujichrome slide of Western New York & Pennsylvania’s Driftwood Turn (known as ‘the DFT’) on its northward ascent of the former Pennsylvania Railroad grade over Keating Summit.
Alco diesels in Run-8! Exposed on Fujichrome using a Canon EOS-3 with 28mm lens. February 6, 2010.
The Right Bank of the Rhein is a busy freight corridor. Trains run in waves, and often follow each other several minutes apart on their north-south journey across Germany.
Kaub station sits wedged into a hillside with a castle above, and a sweeping curve to the south. In the afternoon, the sun swings around, which makes it a great place to photograph trains on the move.
Bombardier’s TRAXX locomotives family includes several classes of electrics. While the DB red class 185s may seen repetitive, open access operations make for a bit of variety. It seems that there’s always another freight working its way up or down the Rhein Valley. And this provides an opportunity to refine photographic angles and technique.
Doubleheaded DB class 185 electrics lead a southward freight at Kaub, 4:40 pm.Northward intermodal train at Kaub, 4:41 pm.Southward freight with a DB class 185 electric at Kaub, 5:15 pm.VIAS Flirt makes a station stop at Kaub, 5:19 pm.Kaub, 5:24pm.Kaub, 5:28 pm.Southward empty auto train at Kaub, 5:40 pm.Swiss BLS intermodal train at Kaub, 5:58 pm.
I made this selection using my FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.
The wonders of technology! I’m writing and posting this from a bus on the roll. The bus offers better WiFi than I have in my apartment.
Anyway, here’s a view I made from the Rhein ferry looking down river toward the famous Loreley Rock on Wednesday September 9, 2015.
Exposed with my FujiFilm X-T1. One of the great features of this camera is the active level in the viewfinder. Such a tool aids making level images from a boat!
The fine art of the pacing shot was perfected many years ago. In the steam era, Jim Shaughnessy and others paced big steam across the prairies and grasslands in a quest for dramatic images.
I was traveling along the west bank of the Rhein a couple of days ago with Denis McCabe, Stephen Hirsch and Gerry Conmy.
The railway here is exceptionally busy. The sun was bright and we were searching for photographic locations.
‘Green signal. Southbound.’
A minute later, ‘there’s a train overtaking us!’
I unrolled the window, switched my Lumix on, set it to ISO 80 at f8 and used the ‘A’ (aperture priority) mode, and exposed this series of images in rapid succession.
Lumix LX7 photo, south of Boppard, Germany on September 10, 2015.Lumix LX7 photo, south of Boppard, Germany on September 10, 2015.
By using the settings described above, I allowed the camera meter to adjust the exposure to compensate for changing lighting conditions, while insuring the slowest possible shutter speed to maximize the effect of background blur.
Complicating the exposure was the reflective silver paint.
Other than scaling for internet presentation, I have not altered these images in post processing.
Yesterday (September 10, 2015) was an exceptionally clear and bright day in the Rhein Valley.
The conditions were ideal for photographing across the river, which opened up numerous photo locations.
Gerry Conmy, Dennis McCabe, Stephen Hirsch and I selected this view near St. Goarhausen. Behind us is the double track west bank (or ‘Left Bank’) line.
In addition to DB (Deutsche Bahn—Germany Railways), there a great variety of private and open access operators on the Rhein Valley lines.
I used my Lumix LX7 to capture a southward freight led by a Siemens Taurus electric against an impressive cliff-face as intermodal ships pass in the river. There’s always something interesting to watch alone the Rhein. This was just one of dozens of trains we photographed yesterday.
Southward freight near St. Goarhausen, Germany, September 10, 2015.Southward freight near St. Goarhausen, Germany, September 10, 2015.
Germany’s Rhein valley is one of my favorite places to photograph railways.
Here dual double track lines operate on either side of the river, and wind among stunning scenery, with castles and medieval architecture.
The variety of trains makes it even better. I never know what to expect next.
How about a a yellow rabbit in work train service?
(Germany’s class 215, 216, 217, and 218 diesels have become known as ‘rabbits’ because of their unusual exhaust stacks.)
Exposed with a Fujifilm X-T1 mirrorless camera. File modified in post processing to control contrast and adjust exposure. Note the Right Bank line on the far side of the Rhein.
Way back in August 1998, I was visiting a friend in Bonn for a few days. One warm evening I took the tram across the Rhein to Bonn-Beuel bahnhof on the heavily used right bank (east bank) line.
Fast forward 17 years: Along with my friends Denis McCabe, Gerry Conmy and Stephen Hirsch, I revisited this location.
The trams still stop in front of the DB railway station, and it looks much the way I remember it.
LX7 photo, September 4, 2015.LX7 photo.LX7 photo, September 4, 2015.
Tracking the Light posts new material all the time.
In the dim early hours of September 9, 1995, I spotted Wisconsin Central’s recently acquired former Santa Fe FP45 leading a southward train through Duplainville, Wisconsin.
Normally I walked to work. I lived just a few blocks from the Pentrex Publishing offices on Grand Avenue. That morning, twenty years ago today, I’d been prowling around in my Mazda looking for angle to photograph the Wisconsin Central.
WC’s FP45 6652 was a one of a kind, and a prize to be scored! When I saw that engine roll across the diamonds at Duplainville, knew I’d be a little late to my desk.
WC freights tended to roll along, and chasing was difficult.
However, this southward freight had to make a meet at Vernon, south of Waukesha. The resulting delay was both long enough for me to make a swift drive on country roads to Burlington, Wisconsin, and for the sun to rise high enough to expose Kodachrome.
Exposed on Kodachrome 25 with a Nikon F3T fitted with a Nikkor f1.8 105mm. Bright clear September sun was on my side, and my exposure was f4.5 1/250.
I set up in the park on the east side of the tracks. The Canadian Geese in the pond were an unanticipated bonus.
On September 3, 2015, I made this photo of an interurban electric from Bonn gliding along the streets of Köln.
The Bonn and Köln tram systems are linked via interurban connections.
Exposed digitally using a Fuji X-T1 mirrorless camera.
One hundred years ago the Bay State Electric Railway was one of the most extensive interurban electric networks in the world. Today it is all but unknown. Yet, Interurban lines survive in Germany.
The KölnTriangle building in Köln Deutz on the east bank of the Rhein offers a magnificent view of the railway bridge and the famous Dom.
A few days ago, Gerry Conmy, Stephen Hirsch, Denis McCabe and I spent about an hour watching the trains here. To the northeast is the Köln Deutz Bahnhof and a maze of related trackage. Beyond is a junction and a yard.
From above, it’s like an enormous model railway.
LX7 photo.
Photography is challenging because of the plate glass barricades in the roof garden. I largely overcame difficulties with reflections and dirt by using a very wide aperture and holding the camera lens as close as possible to the glass, while shading the camera with my hand.
The sun low on the horizon often provides the most colorful light of the day. It had rained and above the clouds were just thinning, and the sun dropped under for a few minutes.
Denis McCabe and I went down the west bank of the Rhein in Köln, and I made this view of a tram crossing with a fleeting rainbow in the eastern sky.
Yes, there’s a bit of luck involved, but also it helps to recognize when the light is about to get interesting.
LX7 photo, camera set for ‘Vivid color profile. Köln, Germany, 3 September 2015.
The six track railway bridge over the Rhein at Koln offers a continuous parade of trains.
In just a few minutes I made many interesting photos.
In this image, on of DB’s Class 120 electrics whirrs over the massive bridge. This electric was among the earliest commercially-built locomotives using a modern three-phase traction system. It was among the more unusual trains I photographed on the evening of September 2, 2015.
On June 1, 2014, Pat Yough and I traveled on the Carolinian from Charlotte to the Philadelphia area. We were returning from a successful visit to the North Carolina Transportation Museum’s Streamliners at Spencer event. The train departed Charlotte on time. I enjoyed the service, but I can’t say I endorse North Carolina’s gratuitous air-line style boarding procedures.
As I write this, I’m putting the finishing touches on a book that will feature photography from that adventure (and many others). Tomorrow I fly to Köln, Germany with some Irish friends to begin ten days exploration of the Rhein and Mosel Valleys. During that time Tracking the Light will continue to post daily, but will be on ‘auto-pilot’ for a while. Stay tuned!
Amtrak’s Carolinian catches the glint of the morning sun at Charlotte, North Carolina.
For me writing books is a never ending process. The other day, while working feverishly to finish my current project A Field Guide to Trains, FedEx called by and delivered my latest published work.
cover photo supplied by Blaine Harrington III/Alamy.
Railway Depots, Stations & Terminals covers many of my favorite railway stations in the United States and abroad. It represents more than 30 years of my photography and includes photos by my father, Richard Jay Solomon, as well as those made by Tim Doherty, Pat Yough, Tom Kline, John Gruber, Doug Riddell and others.
Thanks to editor Todd Berger and project manager Alyssa Bluhm at Voyageur press for tying together all the pieces and sending me my advance copy.
I’m honored to have been included in the new Southern Steam 2016 Calendar put together by Ken Fox and Kevin Meany. My photo is August 2016. Buy the calendar and check it out (proceeds for charity).
Rather than spoil it for you, I’ve posted one of my outakes, an image I made in 2006 at Farranfore, Co. Kerry, rather than show you the image used in the calendar.
I exposed this view of locomotive 186 at Farranfore back in May 2006. Some of you may know of my personal connection with Farranfore. This is not my image used in the calendar, but rather one made on the same trip a little later in the day. Buy the calendar, support the charity, check it out. Exposed using my Nikon F3 on Fujichrome.
The calendar for 2016 features photographs of Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s steam operations in the Munster region. The Price is advertised as €10.00 plus €3.00 for shipping. Please contact Ken Fox (railwaymad@hotmail.com) or Kevin Meany (kevinmeanydisplays@gmail.com) to order the calendar.
Proceeds from the calendar benefit the charity Pieta House (www.pieta.ie).
Yesterday afternoon some unsettled weather blew through Dublin. In the course of less than an hour the sky went from blue to cloudy with rain showers and then back to blue.
Walking along the LUAS Red Line, I spotted an iridescent glow in the sky. It didn’t last long, but I thought I’d try to work with it.
As always, I had my LX7 handy.
Colour in the sky over Dublin.
Trams run about every five minutes this time of day, so I made the most of my window.
To make the most of these photos I had to adjust contrast and saturation in Lightroom. I avoided the temptation to over do it. After all the rainbow should appear as I saw it. It didn’t need over-enhancement, just balance. I’ll write more about this subject later, but one of the great advancements of the digital age is the ability to control contrast in photos.
It was on the afternoon of August 26, 2010 at Three Rivers, Massachusetts, that my father and I made photographs of a pair of restored Pennsylvania Railroad passenger cars that were being hauled by Amtrak 56 the northward Vermonter.
These were en route for use on a special excursion for a political candidate running for Vermont office. Two days later, we drove to the Georgia Highbridge south of St. Albans, Vermont and followed the special southward.
Amtrak 56 at Three Rivers with Pennsylvania Railroad passenger cars on August 26, 2010. Exposed using a Canon EOS 7D.
