Archive for November 3rd, 2023
Scuttling with trains
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On the south side of the Monongahela River, where a scuttling narrator found himself walking on the Three Rivers Heritage trail, and CSX #2720 was framed up all nice against the Fort Pitt bridge after it hurtled into the frame, here in Pittsburgh. I knew 2702 was coming, as I had heard signal arm alarm bells ringing from about a half mile distant, and one was desirous of making sure that I ‘got the shot.’ I had ceased experimenting with my two new lenses for a moment, and installed an ‘old reliable’ onto the camera – the 35mm f1.8.
This sort of ‘photowalk’ catch as catch can thing is a whole lot easier when you’ve got a zoom lens on the camera, but that wasn’t the point of what I was doing on this particular day. Test the new glass and get some exercise, that was me.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There wasn’t any cargo being moved around on #2720, instead it was one of several locomotive engines that were coupled together and moving westwards on the tracks. I continued along the trail’s path, with the ultimate goal of arriving at that brewery I’ve been enjoying hanging around at, and rehydrating myself with a pint of Pilsner.
After quaffing my glass of beer, there were a few more lens tests which I wanted to perform in low light, and my plan was to ride the T light rail back towards HQ. I absolutely treasure the days when I don’t have to drive and can leave the Mobile Oppression Platform back home, in the driveway. The pluses of owning a car are many, but there’s also the whole responsibility thing and sometimes I just want to be ‘foot loose and fancy free,’ if you know what I mean.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Another CSX train – #4228, pictured above – came roaring towards me. Where this shot was gathered, there’s a grade crossing of the tracks and a couple of those signal arms with the bells. That gave me the time and warning required to swap out the 35mm for the 16mm, and test out its focus tracking performance.
Where the shot above fails for me revolves around the wide angle distortion, which distracts me. The big discovery, mentioned earlier in the week, about this particular lens is that your subject needs to be in the dead bang center of the frame or the image distorts oddly. Live and learn, huh? That’s the whole point of testing a gizmo and seeing what it can do and where it fails.
Back next week with more – from the Paris of Appalachia, at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
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“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
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