Some rebuttal:
To set the record perfectly straight, by 10 minutes my chase partner and I were the first to the location - I’ll put my hand on the bible with that statement. With the predetermined schedule of runby spots from the charter organizer, we did a dry run the day before and had the location marked as our first. While the train was still in Chama yard we arrived, wanting the fence in the foreground and to be lined up with the mountain opposite the tracks. The rest of the photo line, including railroad personnel and the charter operator, formed around the two of us before the train appeared.
I never said any of my shots were ruined. With a side business as a high-end retoucher, removing unsightly objects in Photoshop is simple. That was not the root purpose of my post.
Cloning out objects is not quite as easy for the film or video shooters. Nor is sound.
Think the patrons who traveled long distances from other countries and states were pleased that a rogue drone flies into the first runby of the first morning of the event? They won’t go home and spread that story, right?
Notice I did not name names, or even mention this happened at the first Rt.17 crossing out of Chama proper. That all came out in replies that followed.
Simple geometry: if the drone is in front of the photoline and pointed at the train, does the photoline behind appear in the video?
Is it safe, and legal, to be flying a drone at the base of Windy Point, piloted from the opposite side of the roadway and hovering above vehicle traffic traveling in both directions? Any change of that drone falling out of the sky and through a windshield? What if the operator of that drone is affiliated with the very same railroad?
Why is it the charter operator’s concern or responsibility to be aware and a governing body over non-charter individuals in the area? Doesn’t this person already have enough on his mind?
Will drones be flying in front of photolines during Chama Steam later this month? Can drone operators camp out to get the best spots, and the patrons will have to work around them?
Where did I say I did not appreciate the hard work the charter organizers, railroad employees and management, and Friends put forth to assemble and operate this train?
I spent the summer chasing and photographing mainline steam with Norfolk & Western 611 and Nickel Plate 765; even though I did not ride I purchased tickets for the train each day.
I have been on countless steam photo charters across the country; this event ranks as one of the best.
Please explain to me how I’m “off base” with any of these comments.
Those are my words in the original post as well as these; I stand by them 100%.
Matthew
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/07/2015 05:53AM by mfmalk.