Now in Our 10th Year...
Backlit Rails The Zephyr photo, as well as the accompanying image of a UP train leaving Cheyenne, Wyo., in early morning golden light, bring up another point. Rails are especially dramatic looking when backlit or strong- ly side lit by a low early or late day sun. The best time of day for this is just after sunrise with a westbound train,
or
TWO RAIL TOURS FOR WINTER / SPRING 2014:
ANNOUNCES:
PANAMA & COSTA RICA February 13-27, 2014
A westbound leaves Cheyenne, Wyo., on Union Pacific’s Sherman Hill transcontinental line. Beautiful warm toned light from the just-risen sun behind the train and the compression of a 400mm telephoto lens has created a dramatic effect on the multiple rails.
along with other sights and sounds of rail- roading we seem to recall from our past (the distant rumble of a freight helping us to drift off to sleep; the “chuff chuff chuff” of a steam engine; or for us older fans, maybe the long lonesome wail of a steam whistle back in our youth) encompass all the elements of our interest in railroading. Railroad tracks also offer the strong photographic elements of line and perspective, two key ingredients of good photography composition. It only makes sense from time to time to include some images featuring the rails in our rail- fan photography.
Panama Canal Railway, Pacific Queen Com- plete Canal Transit, view of Expansion Work and more in Panama; Costa Rica charter and local trains, including new Cartago line, two small trains plus scenic highlights. Complete info by e-mail or call (see below). Must Book by December 31.
CHINA STEAM March 27 to April 17, 2014 Tangents
In their basic form, twin paralleling rails stretching away from the viewer are a strong artistic element that can be eye- catching, as well as leading your eye to the train. The accompanying photo of the Rio Grande Zephyr leaving Denver in the 1980s illustrates the use of twin paralleling tan- gent rails to add a dramatic look to a railfan photo. While photographing a train this far away is not normal railfan practice, in this case it was a happy accident that has result- ed in a cherished photo. I was not conscious of the train being that far away when I took the shot, in addition to being somewhat new to train photography at the time and not re- alizing this would not be a tight three-quar- ter wedge shot, as I was only thinking of catching it in the curve.
But later when seeing the negative I was
Option to go on first or second half only. Unique combo of "Must-See" places - Great Wall, Forbidden City, Panda Preserve, etc. - with STEAM! Sandaoling Coal is the busiest place going, with up to 20 JS 2-8-2s working hard on rock and coal trains out of a deep mine. See overhauls at the shops. Other places offer SY 2-8-2s, plus one narrow gauge with C-2 0-8-0s. Out last tour netted 42 active locos in all - but time is running out, and this, our 10th, will be our FINAL DEDI- CATED STEAM TOUR! Booking open now until January 21, 2014.
BOTH TOURS LIMITED TO 15 PERSONS - RESERVE YOUR SPACE SOON !!
email:
ronaldmcelrath@yahoo.com (mention "tours" in subject line;
Itinerary & details will be forwarded), or call Ron at 330 630 9817.
14 DECEMBER 2013 •
RAILFAN.COM
struck by how the long rails lead the eye back to and compliment the train. In addi- tion, note how much more dramatic the rails and train look being side- and backlit by the low morning sun. Photos like this are a great way to break up a group of normal wedge compositions in a slide or digital image show, or for use in a magazine article or book to show more of a train’s environment.
S-Curves and Horseshoes
Curves are a great compositional element to emphasize a train photo, as well as being a good way to show some of the trailing train, as seen in the accompanying photo of a train curving through an S-curve on the Joint Line near Palmer Lake, Colo. Any size lens can be used, but a telephoto used near head- on to the lead locomotive will compact the curving rails with the trailing cars, making it more dramatic.
right before sunset with an eastbound train (so you are fac- ing into the sun). Backlit compositions are es- pecially dramatic when pho- tographed with a telephoto. Old, uneven jointed rail on sid- ings and industrial spurs will look very “wavy” with a tele- photo. And when you have an on-coming train, the massive and angular form of the dark, silhouetted locomotive punctuated with bright headlights above the backlit rails adds extra drama to your photo. While backlighting that makes the rails
glow brightly is a really dramatic effect, this strong, contrasty light can present an expo- sure problem for metering systems, especial- ly autoexposure. Depending on how strong the backlighting is, a camera’s metering sys- tem may try to set exposure based on the bright areas in the scene, such as the bright sky, which can cause an overall underexpo- sure losing detail in the shadowed areas. Too, autoexposure may cause the camera to automatically stop down when the head- lights hit the lens, causing a way too dark image several stops underexposed. To correct this, switch to manual exposure and turn around and take an average read- ing of the sunlit landscape behind you, then use that exposure when you recompose your photo. Of course, with digital you can check test exposures on the camera’s screen before the train arrives. Autofocus, too, can be fooled in any backlit situation, especially if shooting near head- on with an approaching locomotive. The aut- ofocus sensor(s) will probably be “fooled” by the bright headlights, causing it to hunt and search wildly just as you are ready to press the shutter button, resulting in a missed photo. Manual focus will avoid this.
Multiple Rails and Switches
A network of several foreground rails from two or more tracks, along with switches and cross-overs, multiplies all the above de- scribed effects. And while backlighting em- phasizes these design patterns, multiple foreground rails can also give a dramatic look with full frontal sun or in overcast or snowy conditions.
Jointed Rail
While most main lines have gone to ribbon rail, jointed rail is still in use on many rail- roads across the country, especially on branch lines and in industrial switching yards, and a facet of jointed rail as opposed to welded rail can lend a dramatic look to a railfan photo. Steel expands in hot tempera- tures and contracts in cold, causing a strip of rail to become longer or shorter respectively. Welded rail, being unable to expand length- wise in hot temperatures, can instead ex- pand outwards in the form of a bulging “sun
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