It seems like just far too long ago that I did a single Photo of the week post. sure, it’s late, but not so late as to need combining with next week’s post!

This is a fairly recent shot, and one that demonstrates the results of some recent experiments to spice up my train photos by creating motion blur in-camera. The idea is quite simple, set your camera to exposure priority mode, dial in the lowest exposure you can hand-hold and keep sharp, then shoot a moving object while panning with it. To give you a better chance of success, I also set the camera to burst mode and pan with the train while constantly shooting. Not every shot will be sharp, but by shooting a burst of 10 or so you have way more chance of getting a good shot!

Speeding to Dublin
on Flickr – Full-Size

  • Camera: Nikon D40
  • Lens: Nikon DX AFS 18-55mm (D40 kit lens)
  • Exposure: 1/60 sec
  • Focal Length: 18mm
  • Focal Ratio: f/22
  • ISO: 200
  • Camera Mode: Aperture Priority
  • Exposure Bias: -0.3EV
  • Processing: Used Aperture’s Dodge & Burn plugin to darken the sky a little, lighten the foreground a little, and lighten the train a little more.