As a follow up to this morning’s post on SNCF at Valenciennes, I thought I’d post a few Lumix LX7 photos I made of the city’s modern tram system.
This is a show-case system of Alstom’s tram technology and features street running, trackage in grass-covered central medians, and tram lines on old SNCF railway lines.
The Citadis trams are very similar to those employed on Dublin’s LUAS network, albeit with different styling.
The day started out with pale thin sunlight, which was gradually replaced by a even dull overcast.
Valenciennes on 22 April 2016; Lumix LX7 photo, unaltered JPG image (except for scaling).Valenciennes tram on 22 April 2016; Lumix LX7 photo, unaltered JPG image (except for scaling).Valenciennes tram on 22 April 2016; Lumix LX7 photo, unaltered JPG image (except for scaling).Valenciennes on 22 April 2016; Lumix LX7 photo, adjusted RAW file, with contrast, exposure and saturation altered to improve balance and interest. LX7 photo.Espace Villars terminus on the Valenciennes tram system.
Ok here’s the story: so as part of Dublin’s Cross City Extension, new extra long Citadis 502 trams were ordered from Alstom. These have nine-sections and are claimed to be among the longest trams in the world to date.
I knew that.
Mark Healy and I had discussed this on the day the photo was made.
We were out to photograph the new LUAS Cross City line.
Then I needed to visit the Bank of Ireland, and run a few errands. It had clouded over the light was flat and dull.
On the way back into the Dublin City center I saw an out of service tram on Parnell Street so, having the Lumix handy I made a few photos as it passed.
26 January 2018 I stumbled into photographing a trial run of one of Dublin’s new extra long trams.
Not being up on the new tram numbering, or paying that close attention to it, I though very little of this photo.
It didn’t even make my initial cut.
I wasn’t going to show it on Tracking the Light.
A couple of days later Mark phone to let me know that somehow we’d missed one of the pioneer trials with the new longer trams.
‘Oh?’ I said. ‘What’s the number of the tram in question?’
‘5027’
‘You know, I think I have that.’
Afterwards I looked back through my photos from the day, and here it is! (I blame jet lag).
Now, I warned you that you weren’t going to believe me!
I found it fascinating to finally see a tram negotiating Dublin Cross City trackage having followed the construction of the line over the last few years.
This my third post showing LUAS tram trial on 18 August 2017.
These photos were exposed using my FujiFilm X-T1 fitted with a 27mm pancake lens. That’s right: fixed focal length (no zoom).
Never mind the camera, what amazed me was how completely oblivious most passers by were to the tram. What does it take these days to catch notice?
Warning!Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera fitted with a Fujinon 27mm lens at Parnell Street.Marlborough Street in Dublin on 18 August 2017.The soon to be Marlborough LUAS stop.Crossing Abbey Street at the Abbey Theatre.College Green, soon to be Trinity LUAS stop.Warning!College Green, Trinity LUAS stop (future).LUAS trial in the rain near Grafton Street shopping.St. Stephens Green.
On Friday August 18, 2017, Mark Healy and I met to document a LUAS 5000-series tram trial on new Cross City trackage.
This was my first experience seeing a tram working recently completed Cross City trackage.
Mark and I have been documenting LUAS Cross City progress for more than two years.
Working with Lumix LX7 RAW file, I lightened shadows and adjusted contrast. In the distance is Dublin’s famous Spire.I made this view using my Lumix LX7s HDR (high dynamic range) mode that digitally combines several images in-camera to allow for better shadow and highlight detail.The trailing tram takes the points at the top of O’Connell Street to use the turn back loop to reach the southbound line on Parnell Street. Is this the first time a tram has negotiated this trackage? First time I’ve seen it anyway.
Last week I used my Lumix LX7 to exposed this view of an eastbound tram on the LUAS Red Line at Smithfield.
This is an example of a low angle photograph, intended to make for a slightly more dramatic image. When I was much younger I made many photos of streetcars from this lower perspective, but not the sake of drama.
Twice over the last 24 hours, LUAS tram 4012 has caught my attention. This wears the latest of recent advertising liveries.
The red lettering helps makes for more interesting photos, although the lighting was pretty poor. I’ve had to make a variety of contrast adjustments in LightRoom to put a bit of zest into otherwise flat street photos. Silver trams on a dull day.
My opportunities to photograph 4012 are relatively limited. Maybe the sun will shine tomorrow, but then again if doesn’t I have my ‘safety shots’.
Abbey Street Dublin. Lumix LX7 photo, contrast adjusted in post processing.Abbey Street Dublin. Lumix LX7 photo, contrast adjusted in post processing.
For me it was like the LUAS transplanted. The trams at Valenciennes are variations of Alstom’s Citadis trams that have worked Dublin’s Green and Red Lines since 2004.
While, visiting Valenciennes, my host Mauno Pajunen and I went for spin on the light rail, and I made a variety of images using my Fuji X-T1 and Lumix LX7 digital cameras.
We benefitted from rich polarized autumn sun. Trams operated on a ten minute frequency on each of the two routes.
In October, Ireland doesn’t normally experience whole hillsides of brilliant red and orange autumnal foliage like in eastern North America, but the trees do get a bit rusty, and when the sun comes out it offers a pleasant mix softened pastels and bright colors.
An Alstom-built Citadis tram works the Red Line route on James’s Street in Dublin on October 10, 2010. Canon EOS 7D with 28-135mm lensIn this back-lit view the tram catches the soft afternoon sun. I cropped the image slightly to improve the level. Canon EOS 7D with 28-135mm lensIn this third view, traffic behind the tram waits for it to turn left at the James’s stop. Canon EOS 7D with 28-135mm lens.
On October 10, 2010, I was on my way over to Wexford Street for an Irish friend’s farewell party, when I exposed this sequence of images on James’s Street. It shows a LUAS Red Line tram taking the corner on its way to the Red Cow from the city center. I was using my Canon EOS 7D with 28-135mm lens. The yellow tinged trees and hazy sun is characteristic of Autumn in Dublin, when it’s not raining. The LUAS Red Line just recently celebrated its 9th birthday, having opened for traffic in September 2004.
My YouTube Video, ‘A Tram Called LUAS‘ has received more than 4000 views. If you haven’t seen it, take a look! Please give me a ‘thumbs up/like’ if you enjoy it. Thanks!
A Dublin LUAS tram hums along Benburb Street heading toward Heuston Station. The Easter-like colors on the tram make for a cool comparison with those in the background on the Museum of Decorative Arts & History in the old Collins Barracks. Canon 7D with 40mm pancake lens. ISO 200 f18 at 1/60th second. (Full frame without cropping or post processing adjustment except scaling for internet viewing.)
Practice panning. I’ve found this increases the ratio of success. Trams are good subjects for practicing. They come by a frequently and at regular intervals. They operate in urban environments with interesting backgrounds. If one set of pans isn’t satisfactory, no problem, there’ll be another tram along shortly. Also, trams tend to be double-ended, allowing opportunities for panning coming and going.
Dublin is blessed with a modern tram system. The LUAS is well suited (and aptly named— translated from the Irish roughly means ‘speed’) for panning. LUAS Citadis trams built are by Alstom, and are a standard European model. I find these reasonably photogenic, so far as trams go and they glide along smoothly. Over the years I’ve made a variety of LUAS pans. I exposed this pair of tram pans yesterday afternoon (February 18, 2013) along Dublin’s Benburb Street using my Canon 7D fitted with 40mm Pancake lens (which as result of the 7D’s smaller sensor size provides a 35mm film camera equivalent of about 60mm lens)
Here’s a few tips for making clean pan photos:
1) Use a 50mm lens or short telephoto. (Making pan photos with wide-angles and long telephotos is much more difficult)
2) Manually select a shutter speed between 1/15th and 1/60th of a second. (the longer the shutter is open, the greater the effect of blurring, but the harder it is to obtain a clean pan).
3) Make a series of experimental photos to practice the panning motion.
4) Pan by pivoting the entire body.
5) Pick a point in the frame to line up with the subject; try to hold the subject to that point during the entire pan.
6) Begin panning well before the subject is photographed and plan to continue panning until well after the shutter is released. Don’t stop suddenly.
7) If using an SLR/DSLR, plan on making a single frame and not a series of motor drive exposures. (The mirror flapping up and down is distracting and may simply result in a series of badly blurred images instead of a single sharp one).
8) Pay careful attention to the background and how it relates to your subject.
9) Repeat steps 1 to 8 as often as is practicable.
I’ll divulge a few more panning tricks in a later post.
A LUAS Tram passes the Millennium Bar on Benburb Street. This was the location of the well-publicized tram crash on September 10, 2012, that I featured in a post on that day. See: LUAS Tram Crash on Benburb, Street Dublin. Canon 7D with 40mm pancake lens. ISO 100 f18 at 1/15th second. (Full frame without cropping or post processing adjustment except scaling for internet viewing.)
