Parked For The Night

Contradiction !!

Not a photo by me, simply a screen grab with a couple of explanation marks added....

We Will Remember Them

 

Light It Like Daylight !! - 2

Once again its that time of year, and once again I ventured off to the Severn Valley Railway with one aim, night time photography.

I won't go over old ground (please see an earlier post - Light It Like Daylight 1) but the use of flash seemed more extreme than ever, with drivers openly complaining about the amount of flashes in their eyes and the amount of red autofocus beams.

Perhaps I just picked the wrong locations, but this year I wasn't able to capture as many pleasing images as I have done in the past, however just attending the event was worth it, as 'steam through the night' still provides a unique and magical atmosphere.

Cheshire Cat ? - No, Cheshire Dalek !

Surprising what you can find in the Cheshire countryside on a Saturday evening.

For the story behind the Dalek take a look here

'My, What Big Eyes You've Got'

For some years now, I have owned a macro lens, a 100mm macro to be precise. the lens was originally purchased for a job photographing some specialist decorative items, it has subsequently been used on a number of commercial jobs photographing small components / products but only once have I ventured outside with it.

Well last week whilst sat in the back garden I noticed how many hoverflies were visiting a plant adjacent to where I was sat, so I decided to get the macro lens out and 'give it a go' on a live subject for once. The shots were all taken handheld and without a flash so the success rate or reasonable images was only matched by the depth of field - low!

 

For less than an hour in the garden I was quite pleased and have vowed not to leave it so long before I venture back out with the macro lens.

  

Taking A Backseat - And Im Not Talking About A Photographic Project

Well the blog truly has taken a back seat due to other work / social commitments, but if you have stuck with it and popped back to take a look, thank you.

Military Vehicle Trust Weekend - Halfpenny Green 2013

Tight Lunchtime Circuit - A 22 Photo Sandwich

Just going through some old folders on the computer and came across the image which is displayed below from 2011.

Like my previous post 'BTCC Thirty Photo Sandwich' this is also a composite of a number of images, in this case twenty two. The original composite contained  a further ten images but they ran off to the right putting the photo out of balance, plus a number of the shots had fencing and poles in the way.

Anyway the results of a little bit of fun with an obliging C42 owner, fixed camera position, manual setting and some time in photoshop...



Ikarus C42 - Tight Circuit



Last Chance Tempete

Although we had chatted for some time about doing some aerial photos of G-ASUS, one of only two Jurca MJ-2 Tempetes on the UK register, we only finally achieved it with minutes to spare.

Roy, owner of the Tempete, had stated in mid 2011 that whilst he really enjoyed the MJ-2 the time had come to sell it, so that he could buy a two seater that would enable him to go flying with his son. Like alot of things with distant deadlines, though we talked regularly about doing some Air to Air photos there appeared to be no urgency as there was plenty of time!

As the second half of the summer of 2011 passed by, the non existant nice evenings were replaced by shorter days and less opportunities to get airbourne. Everytime we tried to arrange a sortie either the poor weather, pilot or aircraft unavailability put a stop to the proceedings.

Before we knew it, we were in late May 2012, Roy had just struck a deal to sell the Tempete but had already been invited to display the aircraft in the static at the RAF Cosford show. The new owner had kindly agreed to let Roy honour the Cosford booking, but would be collecting G-ASUS on the Monday after the show.

With time now rapidly running out we tried to arrange a flight on the Friday before ths show, but busy diaries meant that this wasn't going to happen, there was only one thing for it, Roys last flight in the Jurca Tempete back from Cosford to Halfpenny Green on the Monday following the show.

The weather wasnt the best, but, at last everything else fell into place and Roy enjoyed a fitting end to his association with G-ASUS, a photographic sortie on his last ever flight in the aircraft.

Light It Like Daylight !! (Frustrations Of A Night Shoot)

2012 had been a busy year with very little time for 'leisure' photography but following on from previous visits to the Severn Valley Railway Autumn Gala I was determined to pop along in September to do a little bit of after dark photography.

Unlike 2010 and 2011 my 2012 visit would be limited to a shorter single night trip, so I decided that I would probably stick with one location, Bewdley Station on the Friday night, at least there was always the chance of an engine or two being parked up on the rock sidings.





' The Rock ' at Bewdley Station SVR

 

Arriving around 9pm, later than planned three things struck me, there seemed to be less passengers / general enthusiasts present, there seemed to be a lot more photographers around and it was pretty overcast and damp compared to previous years.





A Quiet Bewdley Station Taken In 2010

 

Making my way across the footbridge to the centre platform many of the photographers were busy shooting the two engines that were already parked on the sidings. Now there were obviously quite a few different techniques being used, flash, long exposure with flash, painting by flash and painting by torchlight but my personal choice over the last two years has been to simply rely on ambient light, be it artificial or natural and long exposures.

As the number of flashes diminished I had a quick walk along the platform to get a feel to see if people had finished for now, most had or at least they indicated they had.




'Hot Spots Galore'

 

Right, set the camera up and lets get on with it. Bang, forty seconds into a two and a half minute exposure and I suddenly feel like I’m in the middle of an electrical storm as the 'mad flasher of Bewdley' races past me apparently firing his flashgun off in any and every direction feasible. I close the shutter early and review the image, as I suspected the engine in question has a number of hot spots along its tank, like white polka dots where the undiffused flash has reflected.



Well I thought, its a free world, everyone to their own and at least its only pixels and not film I’m wasting.

So I waited for a good ten minutes to see if there was any repeat activity, nothing, so I tried again. This time it felt like the shutter had only been opened a few seconds when a torch came on and started to sweep across my subject. This wasn't so bad as the torch appeared to be moving across the engine in even sweeps, quick guesstiamte and I thought Id simply close the exposure about 20 seconds earlier than intended, a bit of painting by torch wouldn't hurt. With about 15 seconds of the exposure left to run the 'mad flasher of Bewdley' made his return, another one ruined.





I don't know if I was now starting to get paranoid and feel I was being targeted or if my timings simply coincided with these other photographers but over the next hour a pattern seemed to emerge, no activity, then as soon as I started an exposure, pop, and the flashes would go off. Despite getting quite frustrated I didn't say anything as I had no more right to be there than anyone else and in fairness I did manage a few half decent exposures, but I think this was simply because 'Hot Spot Billy' had run out of batteries.



Bewdley Platform In 2010



Sitting on the platform taking a break and waiting for everyone else to get bored I noticed the group who had been using the flash were putting their kit away, an opportunity at last. As I was getting the tripod into position my viewfinder was filled with goods wagons, a train was now parked between myself and the rock siding, blocking the view of both the parked engines and an engine taking water...ahhhhhh. To make matters worse the mist was dropping and condensation was now starting to form on the camera, at this point I decided to call it a night and head back to the car.

As I headed back to the carpark I got into conversation with a guy who was obviously a train nut as well as an enthusiastic photographer. After a comprehensive lesson on what the different engines were he asked me how I had got on with my photography. I explained that it was the night photography that was the attraction for me and told him my frustrations of long exposures and the number of missed shots.

"Well, you know the answer to that" he said, "get your ISO as high as it will go, fire a flash off on its maximum setting and like it like daylight, you won't miss any shots then"

My scream was silent but I bet it could still be heard in Bridgnorth.

With the lack of reaonable shots in 2012, Ive added a further three from a moonlit night in 2010.... 

Sparklers & Orbs

Its not Christmas Eve, its not New Years Eve night and for once its not raining, so I deceided to head out with the camera for an hour or two after dark.

After much messing about and driving around (I hadn't scouted a location in daylight) I finally found a point where I thought my antics with the camera and steel wool wouldn't be disturbed. I know its all been done before but after a couple of hours up a dark country lane miles from anywhere, I came away with a couple of results I'm quite happy with.

There Is Something Hot Down The Back Of My Neck !!!