Atomic Systems

Hi, Just uploaded a few shots from Saturday afternoon to my website. Loads more to come later from
during the night and Sundays session!
http://rickeborallphotography.fotopic.net/
Regards.....Rick

Top shots Rick as usual- it sure was a very satisfying weekend from the MPD staff point of view! Not seen many piccies of me though on my completely in darkness overnight turn though!

Plenty of shots to come from through the night at Bewdley, Kiddy, Bridgenorth, Arley and Hampton Loade
So look out for those! I'm in the middle of editing them at the moment!
Rick
http://rickeborallphotography.fotopic.net/

Good to see you again, Rick. Some nice stuff as always.
I was there on Sunday and had an enjoyable time with some great locos knocking about. My photos from my visit can now be seen on my fotopic site.

http://paulgildersleve.fotopic.net/

Cheers,

Paul

Night shots and a few from Sunday now uploaded to my website. Hope you enjoy.
Cheers paul. It was good to see you too.Likewise with your photos. See you at the GCR gala!

http://rickeborallphotography.fotopic.net/

All the best......RICK

I was there also Saturday and sunday, And you guys are producing great photo's. Now I have my D40 I was hoping for great pics. Some are nice looking but still alot of footroom - a telephoto lens I imagine would help! I found Sunday very difficult for lighting to get photo's.

Great collection and locations from you both! nice to look through!
I feel as if mine aren't worth uploading hehe!! I am thinking of looking at getting one of the Nikkor 55-200mm Lenses to use with the D40, do people think this would be substantial or do I need to stretch money and go for the 70-300mm?

If you guys wouldn't mind sharing some information of the kit you used the weekend gone it would help me greatly - lenses, filters, or even what settings you used on the camera for certain images. And yes Rick snice my loco is appearing at the GCR gala I for one will be there!

Hi Kirkheath,
All info on the kit I use is in the welcome note on my website! Don't bother with long zoom lenses! At least not more than a 70-200mm. Just remember the
better quality the lens, the better the results! Mind you the cost of these lenses is considerably more too. The glass is the most important part of the kit!
Settings depend of the light available at the time so it would be irrelevant to give you any details. The more you experiment the better you will get.
Its not as if your wasting film is it! So Keep taking photos. Thats the best way to improve!
Glad you enjoyed the photos best Regards....RICK

http://rickeborallphotography.fotopic.net/

Appreciate the advice Rick, I will purchase the Nikkor 55-200mm AF-S VR. I have to ask though how did you get those night shots so clear! beautiful scenes

Hi Kirkheath, Just remember the faster the lens the better, ie 2.8 or less. I would say the 55-200 would be a little bit to slow. You would be better with the 70-200 2.8 similar to mine if
you can stretch to the cost of it. Most of my photos are actually taken with the 17-55mm again a 2.8.
My night shots are taken on Camera Manual mode set on Bulb. ISO 100 at mainly f8 for at least 20-25 seconds exposure time. Use lower f stops if there is any movement on board the engine with a much shorter exposure time! Mirror locked to up to prevent any vibration and Viewfinder eyepiece closed to prevent light entering from behind. In camera long exposure noise reduction on.
Set on a tripod of course with extension shutter release cable.
You could also use Apeture priority mode. Just choose the f stop and let the camera work out the exposure time. But that takes away any control you might want in the exposure!
All my shots are taken on manual mode day or night. That way you learn more about the your cameras capabilities and what you want from it! Leave it on program and you wont learn a thing!
Enough of my ramblings go take some photos.
ATB... Rick

Thanks for all the info Rick it will help. They looked so clear at night thats how i was shocked hehe and wow looking at amazon and jessops the f2.8 lens is around £800-1200 mark i think the 55-200mm f4-5.6 will have to do for now I am sure it would be adequate? And yes I currently use Manual but the thing I fall victim to mainly is having a whited-out sky, so clouds etc are unviewable

Use the exposure compensation control by 1/3 or 2/3 of a stop on the minus side but be careful you don't underexpose!
Rick

I will have to explore further into the compensation feature. Need another good crawl through the manual I think! Although I didn't do some too bad shots.

Hi Kirk,
I have the 55-200 lens and get on quite well with it. Ultimately it's a matter of time to find what you want to achieve and try, try and try again until you find what works best for you. There's a lot of trial and error involved. Perhaps you could take half a dozen photos of the same thing but all on a different setting to start with and you will start to learn more about what your camera can and can't do and what suits you best.

Enjoy.

Regards,

Paul