My Head's a Bit Foggy

 Looking out the window showed nothing but grey. Fog had hidden even the bright lights in the parking lots below. The trunks of the trees appeared only as dark lines in the grey clouds.

    To those going to work or with important appointments, this could be a problem. Some lucky people, myself included, stayed home.

    The fog didn’t present any problems to me. I got quickly dressed and caffeinated and headed out into the colorless world in search of some pictures. Fog has always interested me as a photographer. Distances change, contrast often disappears as do most of the colors in our normally vibrant world. Fog adds mystery to pictures, it hides things from us and it removes the little details. Near-by objects remain sharp while those in the distance cease to exist.

    With my camera and gear, along with that very important cup of coffee, I hit the road. There was no particular spot in mind, much like browsing in a bookstore, when what is needed appears, you stop and get it!

    Eventually I ended up in Emsworth beside the railroad tracks. A thick blanket of fog covered the river, spilling over onto the banks and near-by buildings. Thickening and thinning, the views into the distance constantly changed. The tracks coming into view a mile away could be seen and then the view reduced to only 20 or 30 feet. It was wonderful!

    The air was warm, unusual for a January day. The window was open a bit to allow the sounds of approaching trains to penetrate into the car. The radio quietly played, and a good book helped pass the time between taking pictures.

    Five trains passed, some visible as they rounded the bend in the distance and others appearing out of the thick fog. The only way of telling they were coming was by the sounds of their engines, the warning lights at the crossing and the loud blasts of their whistles. It was the need for more coffee which eventually led me back home. 

    The day remained foggy, and another photo trip was made in the afternoon. Fog such as this should not be wasted!

    Later that night while looking at some of the day's photos, I looked out the window and realized that the fog was thickening once again. Glancing at the clock I noted that a train would be coming past in about 20 minutes.

    Like the impulsive fool that I am, I was soon in the car and heading back onto the roads again. Driving south, the train was soon encountered, or at least the sounds of the train were! The car was quickly turned around and driven to a near-by tunnel.

   Setting up; the camera was attached to the tripod and leveled. Since it was nearly 10 O’clock, the scene was dark, even with the lights in the parking lots. I didn’t want the longer exposures necessary to be blurred. I wouldn’t be able to photograph the train itself, so I was hoping to catch the engine's light as it came out of the tunnel, showing up in the fog. A couple quick shots were taken to ensure the correct exposure and then, I waited…and waited… Finally, I heard the approaching train.The excitement increased! I waited for the light of the engine to illuminate the walls of the tunnel and when it did, I started clicking the shutter. Only a few shots were taken due to the long exposure times and then the train came into view. The bright headlight and its speed rendered any further exposures useless.

    Waving to the engineer as the train passed the car; I loaded the gear into the trunk and headed back onto the road. Pacing alongside the engine, we moved north on rt.8. The first traffic light was red and I knew it would continue to stay that way until the train had passed. I pulled into a parking lot and bypassed the light, and the race was on again. The next light slowed me down as it turned red, the sounds of the loud engine and its blaring horn filled the car. Once the light changed, I increased my speed on the empty highway and left the train behind.

    My destination was a favorite spot, a place I’ve photographed trains for over four decades. Arriving at my spot, I quickly set up the camera and tripod. Carefully I went down a rocky dirt road and set up. I leveled the camera by feel, I didn’t have a flashlight and there were no lights in the valley since no houses or businesses were near-by. I pointed the camera towards where a bridge sat, hoping it was in line. The train could be heard in the distance. I took a shot to determine the proper exposure time and to see if the lens was still focused but it was too dark and foggy to see anything. I changed the settings and tried again, still too dark. I upped the ISO and hoped it would be enough.

The train was almost here, my heart was pounding. The beam of the engine's headlamps could be seen crossing the hillside as it approached. I waited until just before the light hit the bridge and then started shooting.  It was just as I imagined it would be! The light illuminated the bridge beautifully, the fog accentuating the darkness. Adrenalin pounded through my veins. I snapped the shutter until the train came around the bend and its beam illuminated me. It was then that it sunk in…my lens cap was still on!

    No wonder the shots were so dark…

    Watching the train go by, I was laughing. It wasn’t the first time I’d made a mistake and it sure won’t be the last! I listened to the whistle announce the next crossing as I put my gear away and pointed the car towards home.

    I couldn’t help but laugh at myself as I drove home. That shot would have been great! Once again, my excitement had interfered with my photography like it had so many times before. I know it will happen again, but that’s not going to keep me from trying again! It’s all part of the fun of photography!