Western Railroad Discussion > Disappointment & Success Today

I headed east from Denver today hoping to catch some decent weather shots but was pretty well skunked in terms of weather photography... As I headed home from my weather expedition along the BNSF Brush Sub, I spotted a stack train in the siding at Tonville, meeting a westbound manifest train. I decided to run back east to just east of Hudson to catch the "Z" train and try to salvage the afternoon. I think this may have been a very late Z Denver Chicago train i caught but was pleased with catching something of interest after running around with so little to show for my efforts. I headed home and had just sat down when another line of thunderstorms developed in the hills west of Denver and I decided to try something closer to home. The rain soon caught up with me so I decided to not stand out in heavy rain trying to catch some lightning pictures. As the storm moved east, the rain abated and I moved to the parking lot of nearby Northglenn High School to try some 'going away' shots of the storm. I bought a lightning trigger a year ago and have been generally unsuccessful in capturing any lightning with it. I set the camera on a tripod with teh trigger attached and was looking at something else when i saw a flicker and heard the shutter activate. 

After downloading the photos I found the lightning shot in the high school parking lot did work... Finally, success!

Photo #1- the eastbound "Z" just east of Hudson on the Brush Sub. The path to the right of the train in the frame is where the siding extension is being built. Siding extensions are being made at Crest, Roggen, and Hudson sidings and will eventually include Tonville siding as well.

Photo #2- The lightning shot using my trigger at the high school parking lot. For those interested, the exposure values are "B" setting, f 11, ISO 100. The trigger tripper the shutter although a 1/4 - 1/15th shutter speed are recmmended in daylight.

Thanks for looking and have a happy Memorial Weekend!

James Nelson
Thornton, CO
www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer

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What brand of lightning trigger are you using and where did you get it. I have been lookig at them on B&H. Boyth are great pictures. Thank you posting them.
later...Wes

Wes Chiles
Topeka, KS

Yea, those last storms that rolled East yesterday evening had quite the light show:} Great Lightning picture!

This is who I bought mine from: http://store.lightningtrigger.com/lightningtrigger-2-1-1-2.aspx Ther are other brands out there so I believe if you do a search on the 'net there are comparisons to look at... Good luck!

lilwes Wrote:
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> What brand of lightning trigger are you using and
> where did you get it. I have been lookig at them
> on B&H. Boyth are great pictures. Thank you
> posting them.
> later...Wes

James Nelson
Thornton, CO
www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer