There have been some great night photos in many publications taken with synced flash units. My question is if the photographers coordinate with the train crews. It would seem that suddenly being lit up by the many flash units might be startling. It would certainly impact on night vision for a while.
Oh yeah…most night photography is staged in some way or another. Crews don’t like to be surprised by flashes which could actually momentarily blind them. Plus, when setting up the lights and angles, you take time on private property…if there without permission, you could be in trouble. Basically, doing it without permission and without the railorad’s knowledge is a no,no.
O. Winston Link worked with the full support of N&W management. His night shot equipment was extensive and he sometimes made multiple exposures - which meant that sometimes trains had to back up and run through again, if the shot involved moving trains. Reading one of the books about him is enlightning (pun not intended, but it did work pretty well, didn’t it?).
The only night session I’ve been involved with used all standing equipment.