Camera techniques/settings for heritage railways

[Guest]

Hi chaps,I know it's a bit short notice,but I'm visiting our local heritage railway(Great Central,Loughborough)on Saturday.
I've been looking back at some of my previous efforts with a bridge camera,and quite frankly I can do better.

Any tips re camera settings will be most welcome please,there will be two steam locos and one diesel in operation.I'd like to capture the essence and atmosphere of steam locomotion,plus some of the signals and other equipment.The weather for the day looks good,and as ever,I'll be shooting in RAW.

I fully expect to get candid shots of staff etc,but I'm ok now with settings for those.
Many thanks..

[TonyT]

Re: Camera techniques/settings for heritage railways

I can't help, the one time I went I ended up photographing my car and the one that rear ended me near the 3M roundabout for the insurance, it was my first day out with the 1dx and my train shots were rubbish. You want a fast shutter speed if coming towards you.

Btw Japfest Is on at dono park on Sunday the 30th, saw the signs today

http://www.japfest.co.uk/japfest-donington

[@imagesBV]

Re: Camera techniques/settings for heritage railways

I can’t help much either
Here’s a link to some I took at Ffestiniog http://brianvickersphotography.com/p985400844 thought it might give some ideas
I’d look out for the steam to get some atmosphere shots
Continuos focus for moving subjects...and maybe experiment with manual exposure

[Guest]

Re: Camera techniques/settings for heritage railways

Thanks both of you,I'll just shoot lots on the day and aim for good composition I think.Luckily I'm very familiar with the layouts of the stations there.

If I can get away with it I'll try wandering past the sheds at Loughborough towards the very top end,having guarded the place on Saturday nights in the past I know there are some shots to be had up that end.Also the huts(bothys)close to the shed can be very photogenic if you get the angles right.

[ST-EOS]

Re: Camera techniques/settings for heritage railways

Roy as an idea of settings, have a look at this thread LINK the Exif for the image in that thread is "ISO100, f8, 1/125sec" I was using a 5D3 with a 70-200 L-IS mk2 at 70mm but note there is no real sign of wheel blur in the image with a note very fast shutter speed. Other images (not posted on here) from the same shoot to be able to see any blur on the wheels the shutter speed was 1/60 sec.
IHTH

[Guest]

Re: Camera techniques/settings for heritage railways

That's great thanks Peter,it gives me some good ideas.At the railway I'm going to though,any moving shots have to be from the platforms,so I'm kind of"stuck"with statics,with one exception where I can get trains coming towards me into a station from another station.

There's a slight incline on the approach so locos have to work a bit harder on that bit.

[Guest]

Re: Camera techniques/settings for heritage railways

Shots from my heritage railway visit now posted in the"Transport"section