Western Railroad Discussion > The boiling sky!

When you’re a railfan photographer in Kansas there is one thing that can always be counted on. And that is the unpredictable weather! This statement is of course, an oxymoron. But surprising weather is what we here in OZ come to expect and yes, even to cherish. So one of the many fun things about this hobby is when a classic “right time ~ right place” opportunity like this arises. The only trick is to have a camera at the ready…

1. UP 7945 is eastbound with an intermodal train in Frankfort, KS. The previously dominant Mr Sol appears to be losing the battle with Mr Cloud.
Photo date: May 20, 2017.

Thanks for looking!
Lance Garrels
santafe199

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Nice capture with this photo Lance.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

That is a great photograph Lance. Congratulations.

When teaching either landscape or railman photo workshops I advise folks to have two things in their cars at all times: A camera and a good book. You're either going to have to wait for the light or for the train and you might as well have something to do while you wait.

Really NICE shot with the ominous looking clouds.

Larry

Wow, a great capture of the clouds! Thanks for sharing...

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

You can have your green trees and grass, those skies are what I'm looking forward to this spring.
mg8711

That is a gorgeous photo, Lance! I LOVE the ominous-looking shy -- but just to LOOK at, NOT to BE in! <G> I love your description in your post -- "The previously dominant Mr Sol appears to be losing the battle with Mr Cloud." Your writing is always interesting, and often quite entertaining. Thanks so much for sharing this great photo with us.

[Sorry, but TO's software does not allow my browser -- Chrome -- the nice text-change features above the Reply box to display and fuction, or I would use them.]



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/18 17:06 by Margaret_SP_fan.

That's a keeper.

Thanks, gang! It is great fun to share my fun in this hobby.

mg8711 Wrote: > ... You can have your green trees and grass ...
Yessir, and you're very good at utilizing that rascally weatherman! (Except maybe for the lightning... ;^). But ya know, I'll take both the dramatic weather & sunny day opportunities. And from 6+ years of my preaching you know  the term: "Do the best you can with the opportunity at hand"...

and to Margaret_SP_fan: It's nice to have this font-editing capability. It definitely helps when you're trying to get a particular expression or mood across to the readers. I also use it in BOLD type to provide a specific ID location. I know how frustrating it is to look at a great and/or historic shot and the poster can't (or won't) provide a date & location...

Lance

Great photo--it combines two of my favorite things: trains and stormy weather, especially thunderstorms. Kansas is indeed one of the best places to go to see both. Unfortunately, for a number of years now, my work schedule has been and is such that I usually can't take vacation time to railfan in Kansas during the best of the "storm season" from May through August. Years back, I could and it was a lot of fun. Those nighttime thunderstorms in central and eastern Kansas are awesome! I never was able to have the photo equipment or exact timing to photograph trains and nighttime lightning at once . . . maybe someday. Also, because I'm an amateur climatologist and meteorologist of sorts, I've gotten pretty good at predicting where the storm action will be (and what areas may have storms severe enough to be avoided) to, on that someday, be able to combine storm and train photography at one "event." In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy "storm light" photos from others like the one above.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/18 08:30 by WW.

WW Wrote: > ... I never was able to have the ... exact timing to photograph trains and nighttime lightning ...

I've been exceptionally lucky with lightning... TWICE

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,4343945 ellinor
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?18,3370776,3370776#msg-3370776 newton

Enjoy



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/18 11:24 by santafe199.

WOW!! Your photo in that first link is spectacular!! Stunning!! IOTY!! (If TO gave that honor, and tied with some other incredible photos.)

Wow.............

That B&W photo in the links is a dandy.

A friend (who is into lightning and landscape photography) has tried to talk me into buying one of the lightning-actuated shutter releases for my DSLR. I just can't quite justify the cost, but he has gotten some outstanding lightning photos, even in broad daylight, from his. Since eastern Kansas has some of the highest lightning strike density per square mile in the U.S., it would definitely be a good place to have one to use if one railfanned there all the time and wanted to capture both trains and lightning.