EOS 90D Nighttime train photography tips

[Twiddler]

Hi

I'm planning on shooting a slow moving train going over a 19th century viaduct at night. I want to capture the profile of the viaduct and the train carriage lights. The train will be going slow having just left the station. I've an eos90d and efs 18-135 lens - still haven't got a bigger lens - waiting for Black Friday!  Please advise on camera settings.

Thanks 

Twiddler64

[Twiddler]

Hi again John

I've just downloaded a kindle sample and read the first few pages. He's certainly what I'm looking for and I really like his philosophy on using the camera. A long time ago - over 60 years - my dad was a keen semi- professional photographer (weddings - portraits etc) but we had a dark room in our cellar, so I grew up using a light meter and developing my own films. So the knowledge is lying dormant somewhere and I want to a proper photographer.

Twiddler

[Twiddler]

Hi John 

I'm really enjoying this book and I'm learning so much as I go along. Today I got to the section on distance settings and depth of field. My current lens that came with EOS90D efs 18-135 doesn't have a distance marker to set the lens up, as he suggests. Is it  because it's a cheaper lens and I ought to be investing in something better? I'm planning on getting a longer lens before Xmas, so should I be looking for this technology. 

Thanks for your time 

Twiddler

[kvbarkley]

You don't say what subject you are studying, but if it is for something like hyperfocal distance, simply focus on something that is about that distance away from you. You could get one of the golfing rangefinders to get the exact difference.

I think you get the distance info in one of the info screens during review.

[TomRamsey]

An awful lot could depend on what natural light you may get, Is it fully after dark, or possibly during twilight?  And of course a bright moon could come into play if you were lucky.  And the viaduct is obviously too tall to shine car headlights toward it.  I follow a guy on Flickr, Stephen Morley, who shoots a lot of steam trains, some at night, and he is very good.  I don't know if he has any similar situations that he has shot.  But you might take a look and if you see something similar, you can see how his picture was shot and it may help.

[Twiddler]

Thanks Tom 

I'm learning fast - but it looks like I chose a difficult task early in my photographic education. But I'm loving it!

Twiddler