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.

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.... 

Bitten By The Bittern

I don't profess to know anything about Steam trains, other than bits I've looked up on the internet. But with the Severn Valley Railway being on the comparative doorstep I do admit to spending the odd Saturday afternoon on the platform at Bridgnorth with a pint in hand, sitting in the sun taking in the whole 'steam thing'.

During one such previous visit some years ago, I remember being fascinated by what turned out to be an A4 class locomotive. I can't remember which one of the A4 survivors it was, but I do remember I didn't have a camera at the time.

Anyway returning from Wales after working on a recent rally I popped into Bridgnorth on my way home only to find that the SVR was in the final two hours of its Spring Gala and there was an A4, Bittern, running. Not only was Bittern running but it was shortly to leave Bridgnorth for its final run of the day to Kidderminster, so a decision was made to try and catch Bittern on route. As I passed the numerous cars littered around the Shropshire countryside along the route of the Severn Valley Railway I decided that trying to park, walk and get set up for a photo was too risky, so I would play safe and head for a station. The station of choice became Hampton Loade as I knew at both Highley and Arley I would have to park away and walk back to the stations risking missing Bittern.

Once I'd got to Hampton Loade, the station was of course bustling with people and after pacing up and down the platform several times I just couldn't get comfortable with the location. Time was now tight so there was only one thing for it, a quick walk back up the lane and shoot Bittern crossing the road as it enters the station. Once in place I made the decision to shoot Bittern a little early, it meant that I lost part of the tender behind a building but I kept the GWR sign out of the picture and kept the engine away from the heavy shadows of the adjacent trees. Anyway after a little bit of work in photoshop I'm quite happy with the result....

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

4464 Bittern is a London and North Eastern Railway Class A4 steam locomotive. Built for the LNER in 1937 at Doncaster Works as works number 1866, it was originally numbered 4464. It was renumbered 19 on 16 August 1946 under the LNER 1946 renumbering scheme and after nationalisation in 1948 BR added 60000 to its number so it became 60019 on 10 October 1948. It is a Pacific 4-6-2 locomotive to the same design by Sir Nigel Gresley as the more famous A4 Mallard and one of the 35 strong class. It is one of six to survive into preservation and is one of two currently certified for mainline use.

Severn Valley Railway Gala - After Dark Photos

Once a year the Severn Valley Railway holds an Autumn Steam Gala which includes 'through the night running'. Although I confess I know nothing about steam trains, I was captivated by the whole atmosphere in 2010 and so I was determined to spend some time there again in 2011.

The following are a selection of images taken over the Friday and Saturday nights at both Bewdley and Bridgnorth between the hours of 7pm and 2am.