I was aiming to make another photo of Amtrak at Hoover Road in Gap.

We were ahead of the train, but not by much.

I had just a few moments to get set up, and set up my 3Pod tripod. Complicating matters, based on the results of my earlier evening attempt at this location, I wanted to try my f2.0 135mm Nikkor lens that offers a slightly telephoto view.

I quickly took my Nikon Z6-III out of the bag and in near total darkness I began to change lenses. Unfortunately, the tripod plate for the 3Pod head blocked me from attaching the 135mm lens because of the lens’s protruding tripod foot. So, I needed to remove the plate from the camera, attach the lens, then attach and tighten the tripod plate to the foot on the 135mm. By this time there was an audible ‘grouch!’

Then, I started to attach the camera to the tripod, but I saw the bluish glare of the headlights of the rapidly approaching train, so I decided to abandon my tripod, and attempt to make the photo handheld. My ISO was set to 400! I needed 64000, so I quickly dialed in the higher sensitivity. However, I still needed to set the lens aperature ring to f16 in order to control the lens aperture using the camera controls. My shutter speed was too slow, and my aperture was set to f5.6, worse, I still needed to focus manually. The train was nearly full frame!

I focused, and released the shutter. The resulting exposure was too hot. I’d run out of time. . . damn . . .my shot was ruined! And then the tripod collapsed!

In my haste, I failed to properly tighten the legs. Fortunately, the camera wasn’t on the tripod, it was around my neck. I was saved by my haste to make the photo!

Below are versions of the failed image, showing it with and without PureRaw processing.

Tracking the Light saved by a fail.