A total eclipse! Facing a blinding January sun that's sinking rapidly toward the horizon, dozens of photographers stand in an open field just outside Owosso, Michigan squinting through their viewfinders waiting for the "total eclipse" that's bearing down on them in the form of a 400-ton steam locomotive racing along the GLC at track speed. Suddenly, the blinding sun is gone and the viewfinders are plunged into darkness. Shutters click away like machine guns for several seconds amid the loud rush of the passing train. Then, just as suddenly, the blinding sun is back, filtered only by a plume of residual smoke and steam. With the event over, I chimp my frames.....and find a "diamond ring."
Landscape photography is difficult due to the challenge of combining good light and good scenery. Good railroad photography enters another level of complexity since it requires the first two while there is a train in view.
Images from two Lerro Productions events, 10 years apart: 2009 and 2019. The 2009 featured a 31-car freight and NKP 765. The 2019 trip showcased just the 1225 with the Steam Railroading Institute's passenger consist.
