Tag Archives: #Nikon Z

photography

Under the Light at Peachbottom-second post attempt

Based on past timings (where you gauge the progress of a train by the relative times between locations), I was confident we could beat the loaded coal train that we’d rolled by on the Port Road Secondary at Washington Boro to the boat launch at Peach Bottom.

In the old days, I’d have been trying to navigate the back roads using a DeLorme atlas. These days, we cheat and let Google Maps do the work for us.

We arrived at the grade crossing for the boat launch with plenty of time to spare.

Previously, I’d identified the light near the grade crossing as an aid to existing-light night photography.

Before the chug of GE diesels announced the heavy train’s approach, I positioned the car, set up my tripod, and made a few test shots with my Nikon Z6-III and 50mm f/1.4 lens.

The head-end views were exposed at f/1.4, 1/100th of a second, at ISO 32,000. The laser-beam effect of the headlights gained me about a half stop. In comparison, I used 1/60th of a second for the views of the mid-train DPU (distributed power units), as these photos didn’t benefit from the bright headlights.

Tracking the Light Explores the Darkness!

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Telephoto to the Rescue!

As a follow up to yesterday’s post Too Much Corn, Too Little Train, today’s post is about some alternative views of the same scene.

Some photographers are content to work with one camera and just one lens, aiming to carefully craft the perfect composition with the tools in hand. I was once that way—when I was young and carried a Leica IIIA everywhere.

Not these days. I usually have at least two cameras with me. Plus a ‘spare’, (you know, just in case.)

So, when I wasn’t 100 percent sure about my ‘perfect composition’ with wavey corn, I reached for my Z7-II fitted with a 70-200mm and popped off a few long views.

In the end, I much prefer these telephoto images over the wide views displayed yesterday. But, I thought, I’d argue otherwise.

Rods down!
Screenshot of the Lightroom work window of the preceding image. All the details are in the upper right.
This has better framing with the trees, but the rods are not ‘down’—hmm.
Looking down Esbenshade Road in Strasburg, Pa.

Today, Tracking the Light Takes the Telephoto View!

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Details

Tuesday morning, I delivered my class on Steam Locomotive Photography at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

As part of the class, students were encouraged to wander among and photograph the museum ‘s exhibits. I’d organized with Museum Director Pat Morrison to temporarily remove a few of the protective barriers around key steam locomotives in order to allow for better photographic access.

I chatted with members of the class, offered advice on equipment and discussed details of locomotives and photography. I also made these detailed photos using my Nikon Z mirrorless digital cameras.

My next class at the museum is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

Tracking the Light explores railroad photography!

photography

Soft Sun at Carpenters

On Friday evening, Strasburg Rail Road 4-8-0 475 made a stunning display of steam and smoke as it climbed the short grade at Carpenters on its return run from Leaman Place to Strasburg, Pa.

Filtered low sun made for romantic light as the engine emerged from a copse of trees near the Carpenters Cemetery off Blackhorse Road. I made this sequence of photos using my Nikon Z6 with 70-200mm lens.

Working with the NEF RAW files in Adobe Lightroom, I made a series of adjustments to improve the apparent dynamic range and color saturation of the photos.

One my tricks for making more effective digital photos with the Nikon Z cameras is to pay careful attention to the in-camera histogram to make sure I have captured sufficient hightlight and shadow detail. This often results in a slightly dark in-camera JPG, but by working with the NEF file, I have ample data to make for a much better full-range final image.

The best part of being there on Friday evening was listening to the locomotive exhaust as it slowly ascended the grade. This was the sound of a century-old technology rippling across a pastoral landscape. Something that was once common and unremarkable, and now only exists for our pleasure.

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Fireworks with 100 year old Passenger Cars and a 150 year old Station

Three years ago, my wife Kris and I photographed the North Conway, New Hampshire fireworks. We stood at the Post Office crossing on Conway Scenic Railroad looking toward the railroad station where I worked (the second floor center window was near my desk in the station’s North Tower).

July 4th, 2024, Conway Scenic Railroad is operating its annual Firecracker Express trains that run from Conway to North Conway to bring visitors to the fireworks.

Exposed using my Nikon Z6 with 24-70mm Z-series Nikkor zoom on a tripod.

For me the photos I made that night are significant because of their long term effect on my photography. When I had large color prints made from the Nikon RAW files exposed that night and compared those photos to similar images I’d exposed with my Fuji XT1, I discovered that the Nikon Z files were significantly better than those from the old Fuji. I’ve only occasionally used the XT1 since that night.

I’ve been using this image and similar photos to promote the railroad’s Firecracker Express trains.

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Norfolk Southern on the Main Line

Just a few minutes after the westward freight pictured in yesterday’s TTL post passed Underpass Road in Mexico, Pa., when my Sixth Sense (common to veteran rail-photographers) tingled.

“There’s an eastbound.”

I walked across the crossing with my Z6 with 70-200mm in hand and ample time before this approaching train came around the bend. I set up from a safe distance while, Kris made photos from the south side of the tracks.

Nikon Z6 70-200mm Nikkor Z-series zoom lens set to: 200mm, f4.0, 1/500th sec, ISO 200.

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Glint Light across the Soyfields

September Sunset at Esbenshade Road in Strasburg. Filtered late summer sun made for classic golden glint light.

Years ago, I made a project of captureing trains in the glint light on Kodachrome. This film had a wonderful ability to render glint that made for many stunning slides.

The other night I used my Nikon Z7-II to capture the fading summer sun.

To make the most of the scene, I set the camera to ‘M’ (manual) and dialed in my shutter speed and aperture by using the in-camera histogram to get the most effective pixel distribution from dark to-light . This resulted in about a stop darker than the in-camera meter was suggesting in ‘A’ mode (automatic).

After exposure, I balanced the image with post processing controls using Adobe Lightroom. In this way I was able to maintain detail in the sky and on the side of the train, while keeping the shadows from becoming opaque.

Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm lens set to 52mm; ISO 100, f18 at 1/200th of second. File adjusted in Post Processing.
Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm lens set to 70mm; ISO 100, f9 at 1/250th of second. Camera set manually. RAW File adjusted in Post Processing.
Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm lens set to 70mm; ISO 100, f7.1 at 1/250th of second. Camera set manually. RAW File adjusted in Post Processing.
Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm lens set to 24mm; ISO 100, 4.0 at 1/500th of second. Camera set manually. RAW File adjusted in Post Processing.
Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm lens set to 70mm; ISO 100, f4.0 at 1/320th of second. Camera set manually. RAW File adjusted in Post Processing.

Tracking the Light Catches the Golden Glint!

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Gorgeous Evening Light

The evening began with dissipating fluffy clouds. As the sun sunk in the western sky, I anticipated a colorful late summer sunset.

We drove to Strasburg, where I made this sequence of photos of Strasburg Rail Road’s J tower, and various equipment on dispay at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and in the Strasburg Rail Road’s yard using my Z7-II with 70-200mm Nikkor Z-series lens.

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Zooming in on 2102 or ‘Steam Compressed’

I routinely work with two or more cameras.

The other day, photographer Mike Gardner (and TTL reader) sent me a photo he made of me on a trip back in October 2004. “I think you had two Nikon F3s and a Contax G2 around your neck.” That sounds about right.

So, when photographing Reading & Northern’s 2102 with Dan Cupper on July 1st, I worked with my two Nikon Z-mirrorless cameras in tandem.

As previously described on TTL, I have my Z6 set up with a Nikkor Z-series 70-200mm zoom, and I made the following photos using this combination.

These are all relative long-telephoto views, and offer a contrast to the more traditional approach presented on my earlier TTL posts of R&N 4-8-4 2102 in action.

Molino, Pennsylvania.
River Road, Near Atlas Park in West Penn, PA.
Nesquehoning, PA.
Nesquehoning, PA.
Nesquehoning Junction, PA.
Nequehoning Junction, PA.
East Mahanoy Junction, PA.

Among the challenges of the July 1st chase with 2102 was haze and smoke stemming from Canadian wildfires—conditions that had affected eastern Pennsyvlania for days. This produces some unusual color temperature and made for some unusal lighting conditions.

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East Mahanoy Junction, PA.
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Breakfast Stop with a Mogul or ‘Steam at Cherry Hill’

Yesterday morning, Kris and I got take-away breakfast from the Spreckled Hen in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. We drove over to Cherry Hill Road to roll by the 11am train to Leaman Place and enjoy our food.

I was delighted that former Canadian National Railways 2-6-0 number 89 was leading the seven-car excursion. (The 2-6-0 wheel arrangement is known as the Mogul Type.)

Rain was closing in from the west as I made these images using my Nikon Z6 with 70-200mm lens. Kris made a video with her iPhone 13 that she posted to Facebook.

As we waited for 89’s return trip we had a pleasant surprise . . . Stay tuned for the details and more photos!

Exposed using a Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera fitted with a Z-series 70-200mm zoom set at 175mm, f4.5 at 1/500, ISO 200. NEF RAW file adjusted for contrast, exposure and color saturation using Adobe Lightroom.
Exposed using a Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera fitted with a Z-series 70-200mm zoom set at 175mm, f4.5 at 1/500, ISO 200. NEF RAW file adjusted for contrast, exposure and color saturation using Adobe Lightroom.

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