{"id":7304,"date":"2014-06-26T03:05:28","date_gmt":"2014-06-26T07:05:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/?p=7304"},"modified":"2014-06-26T08:31:35","modified_gmt":"2014-06-26T12:31:35","slug":"summer-solstice-with-the-vermonter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/summer-solstice-with-the-vermonter\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Solstice with the Vermonter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Train 54 at Millers Falls.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

June 21st<\/sup> was the longest day of the year. Amtrak\u2019s Vermonter<\/em> (Train 54) departed Amherst, Massachusetts at 4:32 pm, twelve minutes after the advertised.<\/p>\n

Sometimes late trains are a benefit. I was aiming toward Millers Falls, hoping to make a photo on the famous high bridge over the Millers River. I arrived nine minutes before the train crossed this span. If the train\u00a0had been on schedule, I\u2019d have missed it.<\/p>\n

Since 1986, I\u2019ve photographed this bridge on many occasions. It was nearly 25 years ago that my dad and I made images of Amtrak\u2019s re-inaugural Montrealer<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Since then, Amtrak service has worked the old Central Vermont north of Palmer to East Northfield (however, where the Montrealer<\/em> joined the CV route at New London, since\u00a01995, Montrealer\u2019s successor, the daytime Vermonter<\/em>, works the New Haven-Springfield line, then over the Boston & Albany route to Palmer).<\/p>\n

Not for much longer though. The parallel former Boston & Maine Connecticut River Line between Springfield and East Northfield is being upgraded and will soon be again hosting Amtrak. So, as mentioned in previous posts, I\u2019ve been making opportunities to photograph the Vermonter<\/em> on the Palmer-East Northfield New England Central line-segment while I still can.<\/p>\n

\"Amtrak<\/a>
Amtrak train 54 crosses the Millers Falls high bridge on June 21, 2014. This location presents several photographic challenges. The first is a deceptive angle. I made this view from the Route 63 bridge immediately to the west. While the two bridges are adjacent, they are not parallel, and the slight skewed crossing of the railroad bridge makes it difficult to make a level image. What appears level to the eye, isn’t really level. Rather than gauge the bridge, it helps to watch the level of the Millers River. Of course, if you miss the level, you can always ‘fix it in photoshop.’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
A second difficulty is calculating exposure. Photographing a highly reflective train against a background of dark green trees can fool camera meters. This is acerbated when the sun relatively low on the horizon, since the light tends reflect back toward the camera. Experience with the location helps; anticipating the bright train, I pre-adjusted my exposure by two-thirds of a stop to compensate for the sudden brightness on the bridge. Vermonter’s trailing cab car glints in the afternoon sun.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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