In September 1998, photographer Mel Patrick and I made an inspection of BNSF’s (former Santa Fe) Belen Cutoff route in central New Mexico.
At sunrise, we found this eastward freight holding for an approach signal west of Abo Canyon at Sais. My headend three-quarter view of this same train appeared as the cover photo of my book Modern Locomotives—High Horsepower Diesels 1966-2000 published by MBI.
Fujichrome Velvia 50 exposed with a Nikon F3T and f2.8 Nikkor 24mm lens.
Tracking the Light has explored railway photography since 2012.
Last week in the early hours the air was thick with moisture, yet the sky was clear above. As the sun rose, mist clung to the ground as billowing clouds formed before our eyes.
The lighting conditions were cosmic, compelling and rapidly changing.
As we drove through the fields around Strasburg, Pennsylvania, I made these images using my 70-200mm zoom lens.
I like the back lit effects of the rosy sun behind fog.
At 6:38am on March 15, 1997 near Sagers, Utah, photographer Mel Patrick & I were set up to photograph this Burlington Northern Santa Fe container-on-flatcar/trailer-on-flatcar train as it worked east behind a pair of former Burlington Northern SD40-2s.
I exposed this color slide on Fujichrome film using my Nikon N90S with 80-200 zoom lens. Although this image appeared in print many years ago, I opted to scan it last night using an Nikon LS-5000 scanner for presentation here.
I find it hard to believe I made the photo more than 25 years ago!
I like the pink sky, I feel it goes well with my mixed-metaphorical Pink Floyd title reference.
Last weekend on our visit to Moosehead Lake, Kris & I stayed at Wilson’s on Moosehead.
It was at this same lakeside cluster of cabins that my family and I stayed back in 1972.
Since the gaps between freights on the Moosehead Sub occasionally approached 18 hours, I thought I’d portray the passage of time with a few non-rail scenic views of the lake from Wilson’s.
Sunrise at Moosehead.Sunrise at Moosehead.Sunset at Moosehead.Milky Way over Moosehead Lake. Nikon Z6 photo.
