MikeTrice Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 If, like me, you have an interest in coaching stock, the lack of good roof details can be a source of frustration. Of course if you are lucky the relevant vehicle might be parked underneath a footbridge allowing the details to be taken from above. Unfortunately this opportunity does not always present itself. I am keen to track down, or take, some good roof detail photographs of 7960 on the Severn Valley Railway but how would I cope if it was not parked under a bridge? A germ of an idea crept into my brain. How about using a monopod extended with the camera mounted on top, and use an remote release to take the photo? There are lots of things that could go wrong with this, the autofocus may not work, the detail item wanted may not actually be in frame, the picture might be wonky or indeed all of these. Being a really nice day today a trip to the Bluebell beckoned with camera, shutter release and monopod. I got a few odd looks but here are some of the photos obtained: BR RMB 1818 BR RMB 1818 BR RMB 1818 Bulleid Brake Third 4279 Bulleid Brake Third 4279 BR RMB 1818 Pullman Third "Lilian" Pullman Third "Lilian" Overall I would consider it successful! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted May 27, 2012 Author Share Posted May 27, 2012 A few more from the "Camera-on-a-pole": BR Standard Class 4 75027 BR Standard Class 4 75027 BR Standard Class 4 75027 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted May 27, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 27, 2012 Shows the roof sheet joins very nicely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted May 27, 2012 Author Share Posted May 27, 2012 Last few: BR Standard Class 4 75027 25871 "Carriage Shop" 4 Cor Visiting Rolls Royce U Class 1638 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Always good to see things from a different perspective. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Just don't try it on the mainline with 25kV overhead! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Not a bad idea that. we had some of the local photography students around doing something similar on Sunday, a similar arrangement but stood on a larger tripod, the camera could be moved via a series of pulleys etc and the viewfinder on the camera relayed the image to an iPad. Absolutely ideal for the idea suggested here, but I bet it doesn't come cheap. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Smashing idea Mike even if it might entail getting some funny looks from the plebs. Someone should have done it in steam days then folk would know for sure whether ex LNER 6-wheel tenders had their top fairings painted BR green or black or if whether it was just 'cleaners limit'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 The only thing I would add is that it would be useful to identify the subject, in detail, for each photograph. As they are static it would not be too onerous, one hopes. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 Just don't try it on the mainline with 25kV overhead! The Bluebell is not known for its 25kV overhead, but a very fair comment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 The only thing I would add is that it would be useful to identify the subject, in detail, for each photograph. As they are static it would not be too onerous, one hopes. Best, Pete. Have annotated original posts to the best of my ability. I was trying to prove the technique rather than recording what I was taking. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Godfrey Glyn Posted May 29, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 29, 2012 Some great shots Mike! I have tried the same technique with my little Canon GX1 and it does get some useful, otherwise impossible shots. I don't have a long remote cable for it so I used the self-timer function and got some good shots of roof detail on a station building. Godfrey Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 A great idea Mike, executed with panache! Very handy close ups of the roof 'ribs' on the BR Mk1 stock, you've really shown up the welds to good effect. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 name='Godfrey Glyn' timestamp='1338320836' post='702864']Some great shots Mike! I have tried the same technique with my little Canon GX1 and it does get some useful, otherwise impossible shots. I don't have a long remote cable for it so I used the self-timer function and got some good shots of roof detail on a station building. Godfrey[/b] The remote cable was very cheap on Ebay so I did not mind. I already had a monopod to get around the NRM's ban on using tripods. The cable could usefully be slightly longer. My other option is to use a Canon compact but that would have to use the timer as it does not support a remote cable. It might look odd, but I found I could collapse the monopod and leave it attached to the camera which allowed me to take conventional photos as well. On some occassions the autofocus could not get a good lock and I had to switch the Canon 350D to manual focus and use best guess. Worked out alright though. Now just let me loose on 7960 at the SVR or any Gresley come to that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack P Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 hey mike, are you sure it's a U Class? As I don't see any splashers above the running plate, so was hoping it was an N, this would make a great reference photo if it was! Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 It is definately No 1638 which various web sites (including the Bluebell) list as a "U": P.S. I would love to say I was deliberately aiming for the tender, but the camera was not pointing in the direction I expected. A drawback to the system. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Singpoint Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 hey mike, are you sure it's a U Class? As I don't see any splashers above the running plate, so was hoping it was an N, this would make a great reference photo if it was! Jack It is definately No 1638 which various web sites (including the Bluebell) list as a "U": The Bluebell has two U Class locomotives, 1618 and 1638. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 The Bluebell has two U Class locomotives, 1618 and 1638. The interesting thing is that both the Bluebell "U"s are on their original mainframes, whilst the Mid-Hants "U"s (31625 and 31806) both have the BR-sanctioned new frames / front frame sections. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.