Greg Scholl Wrote:
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>
> From my standpoint I probably am now in the camp
> of the cheaper charters. I feel I don't get the
> bang for the buck with the expensive ones. Too
> many camera clicks from the machine-gun still
> cameras, and everyone is elbow to elbow to get the
> right framing of the scene.
External directional microphones tend to resolve noisy Nikon machine-gun shooters (Nikon, for whatever reason, makes a louder click than Canon).
Tons of walking and
> time is always a factor to get the runways in so
> its sort of frantic in some respects. There is
> lots of competition to get to a spot quickly so
> someone doesn't
> get left out. If you are slow like me, you get
> what you get and I have been to spots where I
> couldn't get the shot at all, having to settle for
> something inferior. Now that's with 40-50 people.
> The railfan charters are somewhat "Competitive"
> because of that, and I can understand that cause
> the patrons have paid a lot of money and expect to
> get good shots, even if they are the same as 50
> other guys.
Personally, I've never seen the competition. I can always find a spot that I'm happy with. If someone manages to consistently get really good stuff, follow and talk to them. Perhaps you'll pick up on a trick on how they compose things. Most of the time, you get a couple of opportunities anyways, so the line moves around....and that's on the organizer to make sure that the line
does move. From a video perspective, often times, the best shots aren't where the main photo line is anyways. By and large, the line is set up for still photographers, and the mediums intersect but do not necessarily duplicate. So, you go off by yourself to find the location that works well for video.
>
> I also enjoy getting spots on my own, that maybe
> someone else is not going to capture. Thats
> difficult unless you are doing the regular trains.
I can't speak for anyone else, but the thrill of chasing something that you have no control over and getting a great shot is more memorable than having it presented on a silver platter on a charter. It's a great feeling when everything comes together and you pick the right spot.
> Any way you want to slice it the C&TS is an
> amazing place, for all of the above to please
> every taste imaginable.
Speaking thereof, I never will forget an incident just outside of Chama. We were chasing the regular train down the mountain and had set up at the highway 17 crossing just outside of town. This car pulls up behind us, and asks if they are in the shot, which didn't make any sense at all. It took a few back and forth exchanges to realize that they weren't planning to photograph the train coming down the hill, but were waiting for an evening Goose turn up to Cumbres that was waiting for the passenger train to arrive before they left town! Only in Chama can you have two groups set up to photograph two different trains going two different directions.
Kevin