On 6 April 2015, I took Irish Rail’s DART service to Bray, and then I hiked around Bray Head.
On my return, I paused to photograph this DART electric train on its southward run toward Graystones using my Lumix LX7.
Tracking the Light Posts Every Day!
On this day in 1998, I photographed a Railway Preservation Society of Ireland excursion rounding Bray Head, County Wicklow.
Sometimes the railway photo isn’t about the train.
I made this pair of photos at Bray Head, County Wicklow, Ireland on Easter Monday 2017.
Railway Preservation Society engine No 4 was working trips from Dublin to Graystones, so I made the trek out along the head to capture these timeless views.
Although I made a few digital images, I prefer these black & white photos.
These were exposed on Ilford HP5 using a Leica IIIA and processed in Perceptol (1:1 for 14 minutes at 69 degrees F). No toning. Although, I think a dip in selenium would improve the contrast a bit.
Why film? A few weeks back, I posted some views I exposed digitally of locomotive 461 emerging from the sea mist at Bray Head. See: Steam, Diesel and Electric at Bray Head on Easter Monday.
This was Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s annual Dublin-Wicklow Easter Eggspress, which ran on Easter Monday, April 6, 2015.
I wrote in my earlier posting:
Despite clear skies and warm spring weather, wafting sea fog made for challenging photographic conditions.
Shortly before locomotive 461 emerged from the tunnels near Brandy Hole, a cloud of fog rose to add a bit of atmosphere.
The mix of stunning scenery, wafting fog and bright sun made for a spectacular backdrop for the annual special.
While I made a sequence of digital photos with my Fujifilm X-T1. I was also poised with my Canon EOS 3 with 40mm pancake lens loaded with Provia 100F (color slide film). I reserved film for the most dramatic angles. Last week the slides were returned from the processing lab (Dwayne’s Photo in Parsons, Kansas see: www.dwaynesphoto.com/) and I’ve scanned the slides for presentation here.
As the photographer, I feel that these images are the best of my morning’s efforts.
Some people may ask, ‘If you have a digital camera, why do you still use film?’, others may inquire, ‘If you have a perfectly good film camera, why did buy an expensive new digital camera?’
Each mode of making photos has its strengths and weaknesses. I routinely exposed photos both using film cameras and digitally.
When I get a really nice scene on a bright sunny day, I often put it on film (and I may exposed a digital image as well). In that way I get the best of both worlds. I can’t think of a good reason why film and digital photograph should be mutually exclusive, especially since they complement each other nicely.
My color slides from April 6, 2015 are now also digital images, thanks to my Epson V600. If we have a slide show, I’ll project the slides the old fashioned way.
Every morning Tracking the Light posts new material.
Please share Tracking the Light!
The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland operated its annual Dublin-Wicklow Easter Eggspress on Easter Monday.
Last year I traveled on the train. See my earlier post: Railway Preservation Society Ireland’s Easter Eggspress.
This year, I opted to take the DART to Bray and hike the cliff-walk around the head to make these views.
Despite clear skies and warm spring weather, wafting sea fog made for a challenging photographic conditions.
I made a point of photographing DART electric trains and Irish Rail’s intercity diesel railcars while in position for the steam special.
Shortly before locomotive 461 emerged from the tunnels near Brandy Hole, a cloud of fog rose to add a bit of atmosphere.
In addition to these digital photographs, I exposed a series of 35mm colour slides on Provia 100F using my Canon EOS-3 with 40mm pancake lens. The mix of stunning scenery, wafting fog and bright sun made for a spectacular backdrop for the annual special.
Every morning Tracking the Light posts new material.
Please share Tracking the Light!
