I travel moderately with the family during the year, usually one big vacation in the summer, quite a few day trips/weekend trips every once in a while. I never photographed trains until recently... Yes, that should be a crime... Here are a couple point and shoots by where I live. [/IMG] This was just outside of a UP classification yard, UP often leaves these locos right here idling for some time... [/IMG] This is WSOR 4008 and 4053. These were located a left turn and about six miles down the road from where that UP was. Seems that a train runs through here every Friday around 11 am, I usually get the middle to rear end of the train after I get done with my last class for the week. For what ever reason these ones were idling for a while...
A lot of us have been there, done that, and wish... Oh well. You've started now, and that is all which matters. Keep a camera handy from now on! Hard to guess. Other traffic ahead on the line? Crew ran out of hours? Went to beans?
Will do, maybe I should ask for a nice digital for my bday in May, and of course model trains!!! On my list is a Kato N scale WSOR, much like the ones you see here, getting released the end of this month, have one in HO too!!!
Ooooh. An upcoming birthday? Start working on it, and hopefully it'll be a really nice one you can rely upon for many years ahead!
I need a job, is what I need... Been looking since I got laid off my previous one due to business slowing a year ago. Really hard to find. Plus I'm a full time student... My mom has two almost identical Canons, I used them for photography in 4-H when I did it. Not to boast but I got really good at it, learned how to snap a good picture even when I wasn't trying... I would use one of those, but I don't want to bust her good cameras up, so I'm thinking more of a digital for point and shoot situations. For now anyway.
Definitely a digital is what you want. And as far as point & shoot, you'll do that frequently when railfanning. The famous "grab it quick" adventure.
Thanks for the advise, I'm now looking. My mom told me at least 10 megapixels and at least 10x optical zoom
Two very important things to look for with a Point-n-Shoot are quick power-on, and quick recovery between photos. Grabbing the camera from your car seat and turning it on, then waiting 5+ seconds for it to power up will cause you to learn a whole new vocabulary that your Mother doesn't want to hear. Then waiting 2+ seconds as the camera recovers for the next photo while the train is speeding by at 60 will increase that vocabulary to where it makes your Father blush. Did I mention that 2 seconds is a VERY LONG TIME when you are trying to photograph a moving train? :rats:
10MP is plenty good for railfanning. You don't really need more, unless you are into super serious publishing, or plan on making very crisp wall sized (enormous!) posters.
And one more piece of advice if you don't mind. Shoot the ordinary things you take for granted today. Back in the olden days of film, we had to be selective with what we shot and tended to ignore what was common. Oh to be able to go back with a digital camera and be able to shoot all those F's, GP-7's & 9's, 40' boxcars, etc. that we took for granted. 30 or 40 years from now you'll be glad you did. Bob
Amen to that!!! I did see a UP GP38 today same spot as above, but back in hiding. No phone even, but it was too far back in trespass area!!! :teeth:
Glad to read that you observe trespass restrictions. There are some in this hobby who feel some sort of ability to ignore such courtesy. Which paints us all in a bad light when they are observed or caught. Now if you can gain proper permission, that's great!
Yes, I am entertaining a career in law enforcement as a vocation... So I don't do anything that I even think could get me into trouble... Lost a few friends because of not wanting to do the same crazy stuff I did about 2 years ago when I was 17ish... That tells me they weren't true friends... as for trespassing, here is a video that really makes my blood boil... Some say he was part of the crew, but I think he was not [video=youtube;sF9Wp8uHUoM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF9Wp8uHUoM[/video]
That is an interesting lesson in life, sad, but true. I learned it long ago myself. Most people mis-use the word "friend" for folks who are really just acquaintances. Real friends are few, precious, and won't even hint at ever doing something stupid.
Yes, I still have many things I need to learn. I just lost a friend recently who is in the Navy (still alive). About 2-3 years ago when we were Juniors in high school he started dating his girlfriend, and started leaving me behind, we were still friends, but he would always make plans with her over ours. I would never say anything about it, until I did this January, the day before he had to leave. I told him what I felt, because he was still doing it, and needless to say we haven't spoken since. It is sad, but life goes on I guess. I made some pretty good friends in my EMT class this semester to make up for it. Ben
