Trn Ft1208 Winterfanning
1
FANTRIP >> R&LHS awards >> FANTRIP BRIEF www.TrainsMag.com 69 BY ANDY CUMMINGS Please don’t get the wrong idea when I say that I love winter. I don’t look forward to months of frozen feet, one good bout of flu, or the never-ending chi- ropractic nightmare that is shoveling. Truth is, I dislike pain as much as anyone else, and winter would not make my list of top three favorite seasons except for one reason: winter train-watching. With the sun at a low angle all day, there’s great light for photography from sunrise to sunset. In summer, you have to crawl out bed before the crack of dawn to avoid the harsh midday sunlight glar- ing down from directly above. at’s not a problem in winter, and early sunsets free up evenings as well. Another advantage of winter is the op- portunity for glimpses of otherwise unseen trains. With snowfall comes the plow trains, chuffing a path along the tracks. Also, the cold slows down operations, cre- ating another opportunity. Pick the coldest morning of the year, and it’s a good bet you can spot that elusive local that ordinarily runs under the cover of night, still meting out cars somewhere along the line. e day aſter a big snowstorm, go to a one-train-per-day branch. Your local high- way plow-truck driver will have deposited driſts on the sides of each grade crossing. Plan to shoot as the locomotive’s snowplow pierces one, sending a million little frag- ments of snowdriſt airborne. Just don’t stand too close! A less dramatic but equal- ly stunning option occurs when it snows and then gets cold quickly, producing light and fluffy snow. is type of snow will get caught up in the wind created by a passing train and envelop it in a cloud of powder. Just imagine the photos! Hoarfrost makes a pretty picture, too, forming on cold, clear nights, but because it’s so delicate, you need to get to it before the sun. Personally, my favorite place to go in winter is Minnesota’s Missabe Iron Range where the Canadian National and BNSF haul trains of taconite pellets (a type of iron ore that’s processed and baked to 2,400 de- grees). On a clear, crisp day, there’s nothing like watching the thick, roiling clouds of steam emitted by the freshly baked pellets. Just thinking about it warms me up. Which brings me to the battle against the elements. Who says there’s anything wrong with sitting in the car, heater on full blast, until you’re ready to jump out and take your shot? at said, you should bring enough winter clothes with you so that you won’t freeze to death if your car breaks down. Blankets, a first-aid kit, a shovel, and some candy bars are other items that come in handy if you have car trouble. Bet- ter yet, make sure your car is running properly before you leave. Also, a cell phone enables your friends to call and tell you where the trains are, and it’s useful in an emergency, too. ose of us who live in northern climes get used to driving on icy roads, but use your head. If the roads are really bad, stay home, or at least keep it close to home and drive extra slowly. Last but not least, take care of your camera in the elements. Cold drains bat- teries. Make sure your camera and scan- ner batteries have plenty of life in them. If you use rechargeable batteries, re- charge them the night before. Also, dras- tic changes from cold to warm will cause condensation to occur inside your cam- era. rough insulation, such as putting your camera back in its bag before you get in a warm car or house, you slow down this process, and preserve your equipment for many, many more winter photographs of trains. I hope you now see why I can’t help but like winter. However, for those of you who still think I’m nuts, I have but one thing to say in my defense: ere are people out there who, in the middle of winter, like to cut a hole in the surface of a frozen lake, strip down to skivvies, and dive right in. Granted, I might be a little weird, but those people are bonkers! On a subzero December day, steam rises from hot ore pellets on a Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range train. Andy Cummings J. David Ingles, senior editor of CLAS- SIC TRAINS, (above, left) received the 2007 Fred A. and Jane R. Stindt Pho- tography Award from the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society. Soci- ety awards chairman Mark Entrop presented Ingles with the award at Kalmbach Publishing on Sept. 10. Ingles began his career with Kalm- bach Publishing in 1971 as assistant editor of TRAINS magazine, ultimately becoming editor, then senior editor. The society also announced its 2008 award recipients. The David P. Morgan Article Award went to Fred B. Wrixon for his story on “FDR’s War- time Train Travels” in CLASSIC TRAINS’ special edition RAILROADS AND WORLD WAR II. Don L. Hofsommer received the George W. and Constance M. Hilton Book Award for “The Tootin’ Louie: A History of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway.” Canadian photographer James A. Brown received this year’s Stindt Photography Award. The Gerald M. Best Senior Achievement Award was shared by two well-known authors and railroaders, Arthur L. Lloyd and Wil- liam W. Kratville. TRAINS: Matt Van Hattem With only one commercial lab in the world processing Kodachrome, (Dwayne’s Photo of Parsons, Kan.) and no announcement of future produc- tion, speculation is growing over the slide film’s possible discontinuation. Easier-to-process E6 films and digital photography might be taking Kodachrome’s place worldwide, but not so much in railroad photography circles. Countless color slides of the late steam and early diesel era that survive in near-perfect condition make it difficult to give up Koda- chrome’s high archival quality. Kodachrome to go? Truth is, I dislike pain ... There’s a case for braving snow and freezing temperatures for winter railroad photography
-
Upload
lorax210 -
Category
Art & Photos
-
view
168 -
download
0
Transcript of Trn Ft1208 Winterfanning
FANTRIP
>> R&LHS awards
>> FANTRIP BRIEF
www.TrainsMag.com 69
ByANDyCUMMINGS
Please don’t get the wrong idea when I say that I love winter. I don’t look forward to months of frozen feet, one good bout of flu, or the never-ending chi-ropractic nightmare that is shoveling. Truth is, I dislike pain as much as anyone else, and winter would not make my list of top three favorite seasons except for one reason: winter train-watching.
With the sun at a low angle all day, there’s great light for photography from sunrise to sunset. In summer, you have to crawl out bed before the crack of dawn to avoid the harsh midday sunlight glar-ing down from directly above. That’s not a problem in winter, and early sunsets free up evenings as well.
Another advantage of winter is the op-portunity for glimpses of otherwise unseen trains. With snowfall comes the plow trains, chuffing a path along the tracks. Also, the cold slows down operations, cre-ating another opportunity. Pick the coldest morning of the year, and it’s a good bet you can spot that elusive local that ordinarily runs under the cover of night, still meting out cars somewhere along the line.
The day after a big snowstorm, go to a one-train-per-day branch. Your local high-
way plow-truck driver will have deposited drifts on the sides of each grade crossing. Plan to shoot as the locomotive’s snowplow pierces one, sending a million little frag-ments of snowdrift airborne. Just don’t stand too close! A less dramatic but equal-ly stunning option occurs when it snows and then gets cold quickly, producing light and fluffy snow. This type of snow will get caught up in the wind created by a passing train and envelop it in a cloud of powder. Just imagine the photos! Hoarfrost makes a pretty picture, too, forming on cold, clear nights, but because it’s so delicate, you need to get to it before the sun.
Personally, my favorite place to go in winter is Minnesota’s Missabe Iron Range where the Canadian National and BNSF haul trains of taconite pellets (a type of iron ore that’s processed and baked to 2,400 de-grees). On a clear, crisp day, there’s nothing like watching the thick, roiling clouds of steam emitted by the freshly baked pellets. Just thinking about it warms me up.
Which brings me to the battle against the elements. Who says there’s anything wrong with sitting in the car, heater on full blast, until you’re ready to jump out and take your shot? That said, you should bring enough winter clothes with you so that you won’t freeze to death if your car breaks down. Blankets, a first-aid kit, a shovel, and some candy bars are other items that
come in handy if you have car trouble. Bet-ter yet, make sure your car is running properly before you leave. Also, a cell phone enables your friends to call and tell you where the trains are, and it’s useful in an emergency, too. Those of us who live in northern climes get used to driving on icy roads, but use your head. If the roads are really bad, stay home, or at least keep it close to home and drive extra slowly.
Last but not least, take care of your camera in the elements. Cold drains bat-teries. Make sure your camera and scan-ner batteries have plenty of life in them. If you use rechargeable batteries, re-charge them the night before. Also, dras-tic changes from cold to warm will cause condensation to occur inside your cam-era. Through insulation, such as putting your camera back in its bag before you get in a warm car or house, you slow down this process, and preserve your equipment for many, many more winter photographs of trains.
I hope you now see why I can’t help but like winter. However, for those of you who still think I’m nuts, I have but one thing to say in my defense: There are people out there who, in the middle of winter, like to cut a hole in the surface of a frozen lake, strip down to skivvies, and dive right in. Granted, I might be a little weird, but those people are bonkers!
OnasubzeroDecemberday,steamrisesfromhotorepelletsonaDuluth,Missabe&IronRangetrain.AndyCummings
J.DavidIngles,senioreditorofClas-siC Trains,(above,left)receivedthe2007FredA.andJaneR.StindtPho-tographyAwardfromtheRailway&LocomotiveHistoricalSociety.Soci-etyawardschairmanMarkEntroppresentedIngleswiththeawardatKalmbachPublishingonSept.10.
InglesbeganhiscareerwithKalm-bachPublishingin1971asassistanteditorofTrainsmagazine,ultimatelybecomingeditor,thensenioreditor.
Thesocietyalsoannouncedits2008awardrecipients.TheDavidP.MorganArticleAwardwenttoFredB.Wrixonforhisstoryon“FDR’sWar-timeTrainTravels”inClassiC Trains’specialeditionrailroads and World War ii.DonL.HofsommerreceivedtheGeorgeW.andConstanceM.HiltonBookAwardfor“TheTootin’Louie:AHistoryoftheMinneapolis&St.LouisRailway.”CanadianphotographerJamesA.Brownreceivedthisyear’sStindtPhotographyAward.TheGeraldM.BestSeniorAchievementAwardwassharedbytwowell-knownauthorsandrailroaders,ArthurL.LloydandWil-liamW.Kratville.Trains:Mat tVanHat tem
WithonlyonecommerciallabintheworldprocessingKodachrome,(Dwayne’sPhotoofParsons,Kan.)andnoannouncementoffutureproduc-tion,speculationisgrowingovertheslidefilm’spossiblediscontinuation.
Easier-to-processE6filmsanddigitalphotographymightbetakingKodachrome’splaceworldwide,butnotsomuchinrailroadphotographycircles.Countlesscolorslidesofthelatesteamandearlydieselerathatsurviveinnear-perfectconditionmakeitdifficulttogiveupKoda-chrome’shigharchivalquality.
Kodachrome to go?
Truth is, I dislike pain ...There’s a case for braving snow and freezing temperatures for winter railroad photography
