2 questions. My local Black and Decker outlet has several grades of DC to AC inverters to give me AC voltage from 12-24V DC. I would like to photograph trains at night Ala Winston O-Link ? ( I may have his name wrong ) I have several White Lightning Mono lights from 10K - 15K light output. 1st would a larger inverter run off my pickup battery power these for a one shot deal? 2) I was told I may really upset the engineers by hitting them with a big flash at night. Here in Wyomissing junction we get lots of traffic at night and I can get within 10’ of the tracks without trespassing. I’d appreciate any feedback on what you think about this. This is in the Reading, PA area and would be mainly NS with possible Reading & Northern. Thanks, Dave
Yes, you really will upset the engineer AND the conductor. Everyone here has their opinions about whether they like to be photographed or not. I personally don’t care one way or the other; it’s your Saturday afternoon not mine. However even I have to draw the line at having a billion watt light going off in my face while I am doing my job. That’s when I call the dispatcher and have him notify the authorities. If I can’t see you, I don’t know what you are up to. My two cents.
2 foamers put my job on the line the other night doing just this same thing and next time ill set my train in emergency and when i can see im going to whip their but…there is no reason for this crap, and not only my job but my conductor also, or the people we kill at crossing that we cant see or blow for… i was in restricting limits runniig restricting speed … think about it.
The responsible thing to do would be to contact the RR PR department and tell them what you’d like to do. Assuming they buy off on it, at least the crew will know you’re shooting.
Either get permission to be on, or stay off RR property, and get permission from property owners.
The most recent issue of Trains has a feature on a night photographer. I haven’t had the time to read the article yet, but I’d bet he lets the RR know before he lights them up with a dozen strobes.
If you haven’t read up about Link, do so. His night shots were productions, in the fullest sense of the word. Of course, he had the full support of railroad management, too…
As for your question about inverters - look at the wattage you need (it should be either on the devices or in the manuals) and then at the wattage capabilities of the inverters. I have a 300 watt inverter I carry with me most of the time. It’ll handle my laptop or the PA system on our trains (used when the generator was OOS) with no problem. I’ve used it in conjunction with one of those car starter boxes more than once.
Whatever else you do… notify the railroad if you are going to use flash photography at night – even one flash, never mind a bunch of them – and ask their permission for photographing by flash at a specific location at a specific time. Whether you are on their land or not. First off, it’s common courtesy. Second, the engineer and conductor will know what you are up to.
Keep in mind that your flash unit – even one – will temporarily blind the engineer and conductor. This just isn’t a good thing…
It will not really temporarily blind the crew, at least not for more than one or two seconds, but it WILL destroy their night vision, and it will take their eyes about 20 minutes to totally recover.
I used to have White Lightning monolights. They don’t draw a lot during recycle, but you would get much more dramatic images if you found a place like a grade level crossing under street lights and shot available light. A little motion blur of the train would be very dramatic.
L&N LCL has it right.
If you’re lighting me up at night with multiple bulbs and blinding me, we’re going to have a problem. Not only does that hurt my night vision, but the rest of my crew can’t see now as well.
Blind me, and I’ll call the cops.
It sucks, yup. Even if you’re not “in the wrong” technically, but I have a job to do and it’s not accomodating a photographer’s hobby.
Thanks for the replies and the education. Hopefully more people than I will see this and respect it. I’ll keep it to day or dusk / dawn photography. I fully respect you and the incredible responsibility and tonnage behind you. I will not use large flash at night on trains, I will not use large flash at night on trains, etc, etc… Would it be allright to hit the passenger cars of an Amtrak train at night, not the engine? Dave
If you photograph at night, be sure to shoot the conductor’s side, although he might get upset for waking him…
While some of the other posters have suggested that they would nearly panic when they see the flash go off, I would sugest that the flash might startle them, but I don’t think it’s the major calamity you might think. And unless they happen to be looking directly at the flash units, their vision will not be all that much affected.
As a side note–when I am out doing photography at night, I carry an old small flash unit (charged) in my pocket in case I am confronted by someone with not-so-honorable intentions, and/or any larger wildlife. By causing a flash pointed directly at them, I WILL temporarily blind them, thereby giving me an opportunity to respond to the situation accordingly.
O. Winston Link had the railroad’s permission to photograph at night and the train crews were notified in advance of when and where he would be, so they were not taken by surprise. Without prior notification and permission, you run the risk of facing legal prosecution for possible trespassing and, in today’s climate, suspicion of terrorist plotting.
Even in daytime, I have been confronted by deputy sheriffs who wanted to know what I was doing, because I was video taping trains and the crews had evidentally called their dispatcher and reported me as looking suspicious; and I was not on railroad property.
Well, the sleeping passengers might not appreciate it so much…[:-^]
That’s because you didn’t wave!
You got that right about night vision when ever I am running at night and I see flash bulbs going off I hate it because I might not blow the crossing right, if that happens and their is a company officer around I can get taken out of service pending a investigation.
Rodney
I’m surprised there’s been little mention in this thread of the article in this month’s TRAINS about night photography. In the article, the photographer, Gary Knapp pretty much answers all the questions posed here, including the flash to the train crew. He mentions doing a “test fire” while the train is some distance away so the crew knows he’s there. As with O Winston Link, the crews are familiar with him, and what he’s doing. I think doing the test fire is a polite “calling card” to the crew. It almost looks like the engineer on the cover shot is smiling for the camera. He seems to be looking right at it.
It’s really a neat article, and the photographs are striking, just like Mr. Link’s were.
But I’d hate to be on the crew and all of a sudden a dozen or so flashes go off in my face without warning. I can see how that could scare the crap out of a guy.
m
Its not that i dont know your there i know that the guy was theere i didnt exspect a flash in my face, and i hate cameras anyways so as stated before you dont respect me or my conductors jobs and i wont respect you, i will win…and if i set the train in emergency this can be treated as deliberate interferance of interstate transit and the fines are major with prison time. this law is broad like manslaughter. the last time i checked anyways so go ahead flash away. lets see if some of you will get a new mailing address.
Gee, who put the burr under your saddle?
There was a story about a year or so ago on the news wires about some guy out taking pictures at night with his big flash. Well, he didn’t realize that the train in question, with the pretty UP engines, was hauling several loaded DODX munitions cars. Those trains usually have a military/federal escort of some sort. Solid black SUV or something. Those guys hate you taking a picture of ‘THEIR’ train at night worse than the crews do. And, I would bet, they don’t understand train fans at all. Probably think everything you told them was and excuse. I believe the railfan in question was detained for a bit and had his equipment confiscated. Those guys are a little more hardcore than johnny law.
You don’t seem to like railfans or photography? You threaten to stop the train and get off too assault someone? why are you so angry?
It is pretty obvious that OWL got permission from the N&W and that the crews knew what he was doing. Notice that on his shots of the Abington Branch, all the road crew members had on brand new caps. I wonder if the RR issued them or the crew members all wanted to be spiffy for their portraits?
Perhaps our friends at TRAINS could arrange a contest with proposals from photographers and help make the arrangements for a few winners to give it a ‘shot’!
In response to the other comments here are a few suggestions:
- Have a lit flashlight so you can be seen.
- Try shooting idle engines or trains from a safe location. Many cars now have reflective graphics as well as safety markings and can make interesting subjects.
- Use natural light, low beams, street lights, I agree, the motion blur can add to the overall composition of the shot.
- Indirect flash, is at least a compromise that may also work. You could also shoot after the cab is past the flash.
- Here’s my favorite - use the light of an oncoming train to light your shot! Find a good meeting location. A place where your light/flash is minimal in comparison to the headlights running right towards the crew, who should be looking away to preserve night vision anyways…
- It never hurts to wave and thank the crew after getting your shot, I understand not liking to get photographed at work and all, so be considerate and as repayment, give the train a roll-by look.
Ed