Not really giving a damn about the tired old Kodak/Fuji debate... Anybody out there got any bright ideas to share as to how to get elevation where there ain't none? I've always considered a little elevation as that magic element to turn a boring scene into an interesting one. And here in the scenic void of the midwest, elevation is damned hard to come by.
My present approach is my F150 truck with a nice DeeZee toolbox in the bed, and a 6' aluminum step ladder which I set up on top of the tool box. By standing on the 2nd step from the top, my 6' height allows me to position my camera about 12 feet above ground level. This has the advantage (in my opinion) of making wedgies somewhat more interesting, in that you can at least see the locomotive walkways and top of the cab nose. It also helps bring the background scenery up a little bit, but is not quite high enough to see over the top of the train (which is my ultimate goal). See, for whatever reason, I prefer shots where I can see the horizon above the train. Easy to do when you are in the mountains, but around here, it's quite a challenge. My friend, Greg Shoemaker, has a very interesting setup. He obtained a telescoping aerial ladder from an ancient power company service truck -- the stuff they used before the days of hydraulics. This ladder extends to 34' and he has it mounted to a small trailer which he tows behind his truck. The mount contains a giant hinge which allows the ladder to travel in a horizontal and contracted position. It takes him about 3 minutes to set up once he is on sight, and I must say the results are stunning. Of course, since the trailer has no side braces, and it is always windy here, Greg never climbs all the way to the top, but he routinely goes to the 20' level, which is adequate to see over the top of the trains. Of course, this leaves me with a problem, as I cannot get to 20' on my truck. Hence, Greg can get shots that I cannot, which is something I just can't have :) So, after seeing his killer shots from some otherwise unshootable locations, I have been going crazy trying to figure out how I can get higher. My first idea was a taller ladder, but longer ones are too wide to fit on top of my toolbox, and also will not fit in the bed of my truck. Besides, the 6' ladder on top of the tool box is plenty wobbly. I'd be afraid to go much higher, especially in the wind, or when the truck is not level (just about all the time). I have given some thought to making a steel ladder rack for my truck, complete with a platform on top of it which would allow one to carry a tall step ladder (say 14') and set it up on top of the platform. This certainly would get me to 20', but since I park in a garage, the rack would not clear the door. Strike one. I suppose the ideal solution would be a utility company boom truck, or cherry picker. Of course, one never has the requisite $50K or so in the railfan budget. I have seen used ones for under $20K, but even so, where the hell would I park it, and how would I ever maintain it? If I ever win the lottery... Strike two. I've also seen boom lifts on trailer platforms, which would be very nice, but again, they seem to be priced well beyond my range. Then there are some very cool, but very expensive aerial photography platforms, consisting of everything from telescoping 50' masts to small blimps. The idea here is to deploy the camera, sans photographer, in an elevated position, and use remote control to operate it. See, for instance, http://www.floatograph.com Too expensive, and besides, how the hell do you focus or zoom? OK, the absolute cheapest way to get elevation around here is to climb trees, and yes, I DO take full advantage of this, as anyone who tries to find a shot of mine they've seen is likely to discover. Of course, not all trees are climbable (but most are), and there isn't always a tree where you need one. Still, trees accout for about 100% of my decent shots from this area. So what's a guy to do? Hell, with 20' of elevation, even UP's Council Bluffs Sub would be an interesting place to take pictures. I figure I could blow about five grand on a system that worked really well, but it seems like any sort of workable solution is going to cost many times that amount. Ideas? Then again, who the hell am I kidding? There isn't anything out there worth wasting film on these days anyway :( Can you say 'crusty paint-peeling grimy piece of *&^#'? I knew you could ;) Jim Gilley [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.eesoft.com/rr --> SPORRS: Serious Photographers of Railroad Related Subjects X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 Content-Length: 945
