What is “nose light”? You might call it “front lit.” This is a lighting condition when the sun’s position illuminates the railroad in such a manner that the shadows fall right between the rails, with the front of a train or locomotive brightly illuminated and both sides of the train fully in shadow.

It can present a bold, dramatic lighting opportunity, or result in a lackluster, contrasty image.

I made this view the other evening at Shelley Drive in Lancaster, Pa. As you can see from the shadows cast by the catenary masts, the sunlight is front-lighting the approaching Amtrak Keystone. The shadows are perfectly parallel with the rails.

The top photo is essentially unaltered. The bottom photo has been adjusted from the same NEF RAW file.

Working in Lightroom, I produced an alternative version of the image by greatly lightening the shadows and overall image, while controlling the highlights. I warmed the color balance slightly.

I was aiming to improve the overall appearance of the photo while preserving the basic lighting situation.

Tracking the Light Explores Railroad Photography!