Tornado + a certain other well-known loco

ancient_mariner

ancient_mariner

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I've recently managed to get myself onto an email list notifying when steam locos come through the Cherwell valley, and have been able to pop out a couple of times in lunchbreak to catch them. I've not really photographed trains much, but the 'obvious' approach seemed to be to treat this as a combination of landscape and sports photography, combining scenery & an object moving quickly.

Yesterday we had Tornado come through the valley. I was slightly time-limited getting into position, and quickly went to an open field overlooking the line where I knew it would run. She was going quickly, and even at 1/125th had to pan to keep her sharp.
Tornado-3759 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

Tornado-3759-2 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

And a few weeks before that was that other well-known train. This one I decided to photograph going through Lower Heyford station, as had about 20 other people, making for a slightly crowded platform requiring more cropping than I'd have liked and no access to the position I'd planned to occupy when scouting the previous evening.
Flying Scotsman-2600 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

Flying Scotsman-2602 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

Flying Scotsman-2603 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

C&C very much invited - this is an area I'd like to improve in.
 
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Having just tried train photography, also not having any experience before, I think the most crucial factors in getting a good shot are being in the right place (ie getting the right background, which comes down to local knowledge and planning) and the right weather conditions (which is the luck of the draw). I can definitely say you did better than I did.
 
Thanks Jan. I'm lucky to live in a village and have reasonable local knowledge of access points to the line. I made the comment about a landscape shot because I planned where to stand for each of these, knowing that I would have a good background for the images. There's a viaduct further up the valley, and although it's difficult to reach, I hope to use that sometime too, but it's always a little tricky because there's just time for a rapid burst and no re-run. I had just 3 images of Tornado and in 2 the train was blurred.
 
Nice set.I really like number 2. A good sense of motion..just a tad tight infront for the last one.I think I'd have left it with the one before it which is spot on.
 
JohnC6 said:
Nice set.I really like number 2. A good sense of motion..just a tad tight infront for the last one.I think I'd have left it with the one before it which is spot on.
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It is a bit tights, but OTOH I just liked how close this got me. They are only 1 frame apart, the train was going fast and I was shooting on continuous.
 
ancient_mariner said:
as had about 20 other people, making for a slightly crowded platform requiring more cropping than I'd have liked and no access to the position I'd planned to occupy when scouting the previous evening.
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I find that a lot, to the extent almost that I'll avoid Scotsman and just go for other locos. Last time Scotsman was near to me, I scouted out a view from a farm gateway across a field in the middle of nowhere the day before, fortunately I made a mess of my timings and arrived far too early because by the time it arrived, there was nowhere to stand either in the gateway, on the nearby bridge or further up the lane where there was less view.

ancient_mariner said:
but it's always a little tricky because there's just time for a rapid burst and no re-run. I had just 3 images of Tornado and in 2 the train was blurred.
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Been there too - I tend to not bother so much with trying to get a nice motion blur, and just hope to get a decent shot.
 
droopsnoot said:
I find that a lot, to the extent almost that I'll avoid Scotsman and just go for other locos. Last time Scotsman was near to me, I scouted out a view from a farm gateway across a field in the middle of nowhere the day before, fortunately I made a mess of my timings and arrived far too early because by the time it arrived, there was nowhere to stand either in the gateway, on the nearby bridge or further up the lane where there was less view.



Been there too - I tend to not bother so much with trying to get a nice motion blur, and just hope to get a decent shot.
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Thanks. The motion blur was a 'happy accident' because instead of setting the camera manually, instead I left it on auto and had 1/125.
 
The second shots of both Tornado and the Flying Money Pit for me.
With Tornado, you've got the panning just right, nicely sharp, but the wheels show motion blur. :)
With the Money Pit shot I think it's the proximity and contrast with the bridge that does it.
 
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