Grab Shots On Tour

Model Railroad Photography

(Click on photos for larger JPG image)

While on a layout tour I tested a new method of shooting model railroad slides. I used a Nikon F4s with a SB-24 Auto Focus Speed light and a 35mm to 135mm macro zoom lens. This camera system, like many of the newer automatic systems, has TTL (Through The Lens) flash metering that measures reflected light off the film to control the exposure.

A macro setting with a ceiling bounce strobe on Ken Reigle's Chicago North Western Syene Branch produced a soft defuse lighting.

Macro lenses, extension tubes, or close-up lenses get you in close but require exposure compensation. When you combine bellows or filter factors with adjustments of the light source, model photography can become a time consuming project. These disadvantages have kept me from taking advantage of layout tours as a source of contest quality model slides. Creative use of automatic exposure control with a strobe light manipulation can overcome these difficulties.

The canyon on Ron Betlach's U.P. provides a location for using a macro setting with strobe reflected from above into the canyon.

Light manipulation can make a considerable difference in the quality of slides taken in the widely varying conditions found in model railroad rooms. To avoid color shift, you must overcome the layout room lighting without overpowering the subject. Bounce flash, multiple flash, diffusers or indirect flash will help control final image quality. I used a white card and plain paper as reflectors on this trip. Using a TTL system, you can even remove the strobe from the camera to create distinctly different lighting effects such as low angle afternoon sun. You can tell the direction that the light came from by looking at the position of shadows.

A macro setting side lit with a bounced strobe brings out the details of the workers under the bridge on Ken Reigle's Chicago & Northwestern Syene Branch.

Exposure control is most critical in slide photography because slide film has the least latitude for error. With an automatic strobe controlling the exposure, you have a very good chance of properly exposing slide film under the adverse conditions presented on a layout tour. The speed of the strobe exposure will freeze all but the worst camera shake so that a tripod is not necessary.

Automatic camera metering systems control strobe duration by shutting off the flash after enough light has reached the film. The power of the strobe will determine the distance from the strobe to the subject and amount of manipulation possible. Changes in ASA or ISO of the film will also effect the exposure. Slower film, with a lower ASA number, in the range of ASA 64, will generally give you a better slide.

Direct strobe was used on the left. The hard light unrealistically illuminates the tree trunks. A closer look shows the shadow of the handrails on the rear hood.
Bounce strobe was used on the right, in this shot of John Krueger's Great Lakes Midwestern.

Photos on this page are 72dpi 256 color GIF file copies of slides taken using a camera mounted strobe.

Click on the photo and see a larger high color (16 bit) JPG copy.

These pages are supported by the Multi Media Work Group.