Thursday Proto Photo, Oct 1/09

[Lenny53]

[Freighttrain]

Nice shot!!!

[David Leonard]

Toronto, 1958.

[Dave Schneider]

Here is a shot from my collection of the Commerce Street Yard (Milwaukee) in the mid-1970s. This is where Pabst transloaded beer from trucks to insulated boxcars.

Best wishes, Dave

[Bob Bufkin]

Wanted to try out my new flash.  Just call this "MARC IN THE DARK"

[Lenny53]

Wanted to try out my new flash.  Just call this "MARC IN THE DARK"

What ISO did you shoot at?

[Bob Bufkin]

Don't remember, just pointed and clicked on my first try.

[Bob Bufkin]

Lenny:

Went back and checked my camera.  Used the Auto setting.  I'm using a Nikon D-40 with a 55-200 lens.  My new flash is a Nikon Speedlight SB-600.  Any suggestions for a better shot would be appreciated as I'm not up on night shooting.

Bob

[Lenny53]

Lenny:

Went back and checked my camera.  Used the Auto setting.  I'm using a Nikon D-40 with a 55-200 lens.  My new flash is a Nikon Speedlight SB-600.  Any suggestions for a better shot would be appreciated as I'm not up on night shooting.

Bob

Bob;

It looks like the ISO is quite high hence the noise (grainy white specs).  Night shooting is difficult no matter what and your kit lens is on the slow side. At some point you may want to look at a fast prime like the 50mm f1.8 or f1.4 is the budget allows.  It is also good to note that a flash unit only 'throws' light for so many feet before it falls off.  If you are using Nikon ViewNX you can go into the folder and select the picture to see if the exact ISO is given.  I always set my ISO manually, just to know where I'm at when I shoot, and work the shutter speed and aperture from there.

Cheers,
Lenny

[Ian MacMillan]

Bob, if you want to shoot night you need to go without the flash. Unless you have the proper key and fill lights popping a speed light is not really going to give you what you want as it falls off too quick like Lenny said, or bounces back washing everything out. Take a look at some of the stuff Gary Knapp has posted on the net of shooting moving trains at night. He uses a lot of timed flashes and constant floods.