Amtrak Siemens-built ACS-64 ‘Cities Sprinters’ are the standard electric locomotives for Regional and Long Distance services operating on the Northeast Corridor.
I made this view of Amtrak 160 blasting through the station at Old Saybrook, Connecticut.
For my raw and unmodified composition I gave the camera a slight tilt that makes for a more dynamic image of the fast electric in action.
My original composition features a slight angle intended to better convey speed and motion.
Purists might flinch at my altering of the level, so I’ve ‘corrected’ the photo in post processing and offer the more ‘normal’ view as well.
Here’s the revised image, ‘corrected’ in post processing.
For a change, I thought I’d present a three-quarter lit view of a nice clean train on a clear sunny January afternoon. (If you are viewing on Facebook, be sure to click the link to Tracking the Light to see the un-cropped image).
Often on Tracking the Light I detail unusual or uncommon photographic techniques. I’ve discussed how to make pan photographs, how to work with graduated neutral density filters, how to expose at night or in very low light.
I made this at Old Saybrook. Pat Yough and I were wandering around Connecticut after the BIG Railroad Hobby Show, and we paused here to catch Amtrak 163 led by clean ACS-64 635.
Nothing fancy about this photo, although I’ve include the relevant details in the caption, just in case you are curious.
Exposed using a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera fitted with a 18-135mm Fujinon zoom lens; set at 43.9mm (equivalent to a 66m focal length in 35mm SLR terms). ISO 200, f7.1 at 1/500th of a second. Metered manually using the center weighted camera meter. Both shutter speed and aperture were set manually. Color profile is Fuji’s Velvia (a built-in camera preset). Other than scaling for internet presentation, I made no color correction, contrast, exposure or gamma adjustments to the camera-output JPG file.
After reviewing my black & white negatives from the 1980s, I decided it would be productive to use my old camera for some modern photography. So over the last couple of weeks I’ve exposed several rolls of 35mm film and processed them in the darkroom.
Last week I made use of my old Leica 3A at Old Saybrook, Connecticut.
While the passing trains were the primary subject; it was the fleecy cotton-candy sky that really caught my attention.
Successful black & white photography often makes use of texture and contrast. Here the sky worked well.
A New York bound Amtrak High Speed Train (working as an Acela service) blitzes the station at Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Exposed with a 21mm f4.0 Super Angulon. I exposed for the sky, while allowing other elements of the scene to remain in relative shadow.Sometimes wires are a nuisance; here they are integral park of the scene. Also rather than emphasize deep rich shadows, I’ve exposed for the sky to allow this textured area to draw the eye. Old Saybrook, Connecticut.Amtrak ACS-64 600 David Gunn pauses at Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Here I’ve used a Nikkor 35mm lens on my old Leica. Notice how this lens treats the contrast of the scene. Every lens is different, and choosing the best lens for the circumstance is more than merely selecting the desired focal length.
These images were exposed using Fuji Acros 100 negative film; processed in Kodak HC-110 at 1:32 (with water) for 4 minutes 30 seconds with continuous agitation.
Final image processing was done following scanning with Lightroom.
