This classic EMD was one of many guests posed for the Streamliners at Spencer event on May 30, 2014.
Photo from Lumix LX7 archives.
Brian is presently traveling in Germany.
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Tag Archives: North Carolina Transportation Museum
Lumix Up Close—Macro Views of American classics.
Details at Spencer Shops.
One of the strengths of the Lumix LX-series is the ability to make close-up and detail photos.
The camera’s optical system allows for great depth of field, while the ability to focus manually has allowed me unusual flexibility to make detailed photographs.
While experimenting with the LX7 at the Streamliners at Spencer event held by the North Carolina Transportation Museum, I made many detailed views. This was an idea time to get close, since there was a great variety of equipment on display with great pedestrian access.
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Tracking the Light update: Six new photos added to the Streamliners at Spencer page.
TRACKING the LIGHT posts new material every day.
I’ve been reviewing the hundreds of digital color photos I exposed at Spencer and I’ve added six of my favorites to my special page dedicated to the event.
See my: Streamliners at Spencer photos to view the latest!
Streamliner Noir
On the Darker Side of Spencer!
Part of the attraction of North Carolina Transportation Museum’s Streamliners at Spencer event was the pre-arranged night photograph sessions. Large industrial scale flood lamps were arranged to provide roughly even lighting on locomotives that had been arranged and spotted specifically for photography.
I’ve often worked on the darker side of photography, and this was no exception. While I took advantage of the ‘arranged’ lighting to make standard views of the equipment. I made a special effort to go beyond the obvious.
Here I worked in the shadows, using the lights in a more interpretive way. I sought out scenes of the shops and facilities that were part of the background.
The challenge was trying to stay out of the way of the photo lines to avoid the ire of those with a front-lit view.
On one of the evenings there was a thunderstorm, which made matters extra challenging!
See my Streamliners at Spencer page for more photos of the event.
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Streamliners at Spencer; Fans, Photographers and the People Behind the Scenes—TRACKING THE LIGHT Special Post.
It’s not just about the equipment.
The locomotives were largely static and thus relatively easy to photograph. However, people move about constantly, and getting your friends to hold still long enough for a portrait in an environment characterized by sensory-overload, can be tough.
On the plus side, most everyone was smiling.
I used both a Canon EOS 7D and Lumix LX-7 to make digital portraits, while a few photos were captured on slide film using my EOS 3.
Below is a selection of my results.
For more Streamliners photos, click on Tracking the Light’s Streamliners at Spencer page.
For more Streamliners photos, click on Tracking the Light’s Streamliners at Spencer page.
Around the Table at Spencer—Diesels Dressed in Colors.
Afternoon at the North Carolina Transportation Museum, May 29, 2014.
I was keeping the Lumix busy this afternoon. The sun was elusive at times. But the selection of locomotives proved colorful.
Tracking the Light posts new material everyday!
More on Spencer over the next few days!
Interested in learning more about American diesels? Check out my books at Voyageur Press (Click here for link).
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Streamliner Details, Spencer—TRACKING THE LIGHT SPECIAL POST
Morning Views, May 28, 2014—North Carolina Transportation Museum.
With more than two dozen classic locomotives to photograph, and lots of other relics of interest, I exposed more than 300 image with the Lumix LX-7 in just three hours. In addition, I was also working with my Canons, one for film, one for pixels.
Here are just some of detailed views I exposed with the Lumix. These are macro images, as opposed to wide shots that take in the whole scene. (And, yes, I made plenty of those too.)
The light was mixed. Nice soft early sun soon gave way to a hazy flat bright light. I’m glad I brought my old Minolta IV light meter, this proved very useful.
The ease of use of the Lumix LX-7 made it an especially valuable too. Today I was working with the electronic view finder, instead of the rear screen display. I wonder if this altered my compositions?
I was very impressed by the paint on the Lackawanna F3’s, even if they were built for the Bangor & Aroostook, What are your favorite locomotives on display at Spencer?
More Spencer Streamliner photos to come over the next few days!
Tracking the Light posts new material every day, with special ‘Extra’ posts on the Streamliners at Spencer event this week!
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Amtrak’s Carolinian at Richmond—On the way to Spencer—Part 5
Heat Curtailment, Crew Change, and a Trash Train.
Hmm, sounds like the chorus to a song. It was cool and damp when Amtrak’s Carolinian departed Trenton a little after 8am this morning (May 28, 2014). Now, its 94 degrees Fahrenheit outside!
We’ve been traveling at a reduced speed because of the heat. An customer (passenger?) announcement was made in this regard, shortly after we crossed the diamonds at Doswell (historically where the Chesapeake & Ohio crossed the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac).
There’s lots of CSX freight on the line, if not moving particularly fast.
At Richmond, Staple Mills Station, we stopped for a crew change and a ‘smoke brake’. (If burning through the pixels with the LX-7 counts as ‘smoke,’ I’m in.)
A northward CSX trash train with an AC6000CW was parked near the head-end of Amtrak 79, Carolinian. It was a bit of shock to step out of the air-conditioned Amfleet car and into the heat.
Our baggage car belongs to the streamlined era. Appropriate, since we are going to the North Carolina Transportation Museum’s Streamliners at Spencer event. Later this year I’ll be writing a book on American railroad’s streamlined era to be published by Voyageur Press!
More to come!
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All Change—New Haven, Connecticut—On the way to Spencer—Part 2.
May 27, 2014.
Today’s post is a follow up to both of yesterday’s posts, which covered my experiments with the Lumix LX-7 and the beginning of my adventure to Spencer.
As covered in yesterday’s Tracking the Light Special Post, I was traveling on Amtrak’s two-car shuttle, scheduled as train 475, which runs from Springfield, Massachusetts to New Haven, Connecticut to connect with Boston-Washington train 175. I sent my post from the train.
Amtrak 475 arrived early in New Haven, giving me about 15 minutes to wander around making photographs. I’m continuing to test my father’s Panasonic Lumix LX-7, and there was some nice low sun to work with.
I was keen to photograph the Shore Line East train which features a ‘GP40-2H’ locomotive in the classic New Haven Railroad McGinnis livery.
This colorful machine ties in well with my Spencer-theme, since the Railroad Museum of New England is sending their freshly repainted New Haven FL9 2019 to the North Carolina Transportation Museum’s Streamliner at Spencer event.
I also fished out my Canon EOS3, that was buried in the depths of my camera bag, and exposed a few frames of Fuji Velvia 100 of the New Haven painted commuter engine. My hand held Minolta IV light meter aided my exposure; f5.6 1/500th.
It will be a few weeks yet before I see the slides, so for now we can settle for the Lumix instant digital images (that’s what they are for, right?)
New Haven in the early evening is a busy place. In addition to Metro-North trains coming and going, an Acela bound for Boston was arriving on Track 4, just as Amtrak 175 approached Track 1.
I exposed a series of images of train 175, hauled by venerable Amtrak AEM7 number 943. How many millions of miles has this old electric have to its credit? Low sun and the angle of the curve made for a nice grab shot from the Boston-end of the passenger platform.
Certainly, I found that the Lumix LX-7 has its moments, although the differences in the controls (as compared with my old LX-3) befuddled me a couple of times. Traveling on 175 was comfortable, but the WiFi on the train wasn’t working. I arrived in Trenton at the last glow of daylight.
I’m just getting warmed up, so stay tuned! (or what ever the Internet equivalent is to that old radio term).
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TRACKING THE LIGHT Special Post: On the Way to Spencer—Part 1
Tuesday May 27 at 5:10pm: I’m on board Amtrak 475. I boarded at Windsor Locks, Connecticut, I’ll change trains at New Haven. I’ve got an overnight stay planned for near Trenton, New Jersey.
Tomorrow, I’ll continue with fellow photographer Pat Yough to Charlotte, North Carolina. On Thursday we’ll be attending the Streamliners gathering at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer. (see: http://www.nctrans.org/Events/Streamliners-at-Spencer-(1).aspx).
This promises to be an excellent opportunity to photograph a great variety of restored classic diesels. I’m looking forward to seeing the Alco PA. I’ve written a great deal about this model, yet I’ve never seen one! It will be great to see 611 again.
And, I’ll finally get to see one of the Pan Am executive F-units! (Seems like when ever these run in New England, I’m either in Ireland, Chicago, or someplace over the hills and far away.)
I’ll be posting updates! Stay tuned to Tracking the Light for more photos!
Tracking the Light posts new material every day!
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