The Watercress Line makes pretty regular appearances on this blog at the moment. Since it is close to home, if I am not doing something else, there is something on and the weather isn’t crummy, I might sneak across to get a few photos. One weekend morning, the Steam Gala was on. We had some plans later in the morning, but I figured the light would be best early and so headed across to Bishops Stoke to get some shots.
They had a variety of steam locos taking part (with the occasional diesel providing some support). Some were larger late generation locos, there were some tank engines and there was one that, to my untrained eye, looked like it was a lot older given the open area of the cab and the high chimney (is that the right term?). I used the same set up that I had tried previously with a longer lens handheld and a wide-angle lens set on the ground controlled by a Pocket Wizard. I also had the Insta360 mounted high on a fence to get some video.
The set up worked better this time. I had gone with a wider lens for the ground camera and also held the Pocket Wizard in a better way to allow a smoother transition from one shot to the other without any frantic fumbling! Overall, pretty happy with the way things worked out. I suspect I might head back for some of their other events this year if I am free (and the weather plays ball).
There is a gallery at the RAF Museum at Hendon that is focused on the Great War. This was the early days of aviation, and the development was so rapid that an aircraft might have an operational life of less than a year before something newer and better would replace it. Because so little was known at this point, experimentation with all sorts of ideas took place. Consequently, the types in this gallery have some wildly varying configurations. Pushers and tractors are on show. The sizing of some surfaces is huge compared to what would be expected now. They are really interesting to look at and see what ideas look relevant now and what has been abandoned. Here are some of the various types on display.
A sunny Sunday in late April found me out in the countryside on a photo hunt. As I was walking back to the car, I saw a vintage green Jaguar pass by, and I didn’t have the camera to hand. I was a touch disappointed, but it wasn’t the end of the world. A short while later, I saw a red MG heading towards me and this time I was prepared to get a shot. Stopping off in New Alresford about ten minutes later, the Jag came by again and I did get a shot. I guess, if you own a convertible old car, you get it out as soon as the sun appears. I shall be watching for plenty more.
Last summer, the evening show at Old Warden included a flight by the de Havilland Comet. It was both in a formation and making some solo passes. The light had been absolutely excellent, but I was getting concerned that the light might be gone before it flew. The bright red paint has the potential to look excellent in very low angle sun, and I wanted to see that if possible.
It started out in a four-ship formation, and I was hoping that they would then do solo performances. Instead, the Comet ended up doing a series of formation passes with the Lysander. This was an interesting combination, but I was hoping to isolate it a bit. With a bit of luck and planning, I was able to get some individual shots that I liked. Sadly, the light was definitely on the way out by this time and, instead of having some gorgeous warmth on a red airframe, things were a little muted. Even so, not a bad thing to wrap up the air show.
I alluded to this post in a previous one. The Spitfire rides operating from Solent Airport take people up in a two seat Spitfire. I was down on the seafront at Lee on Solent when I heard the sound of a Merlin at power. I had almost every setting wrong on the camera but managed to switch to the right shutter speed and get the frame rate reset as it climbed out. This did take a bit of time and while the best top side view of it turning east were on display. Things were a bit more level but the time I got some shots off. Not idea but still okay. A while later, they returned from their trip, and we had a fly through along the runway alignment before they landed. I would like to plan better to be there in the future in a more planned way.
I had spent a bit of time preparing to photograph the Flying Scotsman on a Saturday morning at the Watercress Line. Once done, I had gone home and picked up Nancy so we could head to an appointment that we had in Itchen Abbas. When we finished there, the plane was to head to Alresford for some other stuff. This was going to take us by the bridge in Bishop’s Sutton that goes over the track. I thought it was about the time that another of the Scotsman’s planned runs should take place. Consequently, we drove by that way.
There were plenty of people on the bridge when we got there so I parked and asked if it was due. Someone said five minutes, so I grabbed the cameras from the car. As I did so, I saw people lifting cameras to their eyes so zipped back. The train was already climbing the hill out of Alresford. The longer shots were not great because the heat haze was already showing itself, but they were okay. As it came up the cutting, it was making plenty of power. Then it was gone. We were back in the car and off to our destination and it had barely taken five minutes out of our day!
In a recent post, I told the story of my less than successful efforts to photograph the Flying Scotsman at the Watercress Line. In that entry, I mentioned how much public attention the loco gets. Given the number of large steam locomotives that there are in the country, it is interesting just how much more this one attracts visitors. If it helps the railways get some additional revenue, it is surely a good thing. Seeing as I had messed up getting photos on that occasion, I decided to try again the following weekend. The weather forecast was far nicer. Moreover, I spent a load of time thinking about what I would do. Even then, as I headed out in the morning, I had a couple of options with the things I was bringing.
I took two cameras with me and the Insta360 as well. I also had a clamp mount which I hadn’t decided whether I would use for the Insta360 of the second camera. I figured I would decide when I got there. Since the weather was nice and the Scotsman is popular, I worried that it might be pretty busy. There are limited parking spaces on the lane near the crossing I was going to, so I headed out in plenty of time. Of course, when I arrived, there was no one else around. Plenty of time to now kill!
I walked up to the crossing and found it empty. This gave me loads of time to decide on what to do. I had brought some PocketWizards with me. If I was going to use the second camera, these would be used to trigger that body.
As I unwrapped the PocketWizards, I realised that the Velcro cover I used for them would also make a nice wrap for the Insta360 handle. I attached it to the fence and wrapped the handle to the fence posts, and it provided a nice secure fit which meant I know had the clamp mount available. The Insta360 is controllable from my phone, so I was able to leave it fully extended and just activate it from the app when ready. I did a test with it when it stopped recording after 20 seconds. I have no idea why it did that so tried a couple of further recordings which all worked fine so I decided that was good to go.
While the PocketWizards can be used to trigger the second body when the first is firing, I didn’t actually want that. The two bodies were set up for different shooting scenarios – the long lens would cover the approach of the train but, during that time, it would be so far away that there would be no benefit to shooting with the wide-angle lens. Similarly, once it was close enough for the wide angle, the long lens would already be too much so I would have stopped shooting with it. Consequently, I handheld the PocketWizard and triggered it by hand when required.
I clamped the mount to the bottom of the fence with the camera at ground level looking up at the approaching train. I normally use back button focus but I don’t think that would activate via the PocketWizard, so I switched it to front button for focus and exposure. The joy of a flexible screen is that you can frame up the shot without having to be a contortionist which is good news for those of us with a few years under our belts. With everything set up, I set off a few test shots to see if everything was working. It all seemed good so now it was time to wait.
I was expecting one or two movements before the Scotsman which would give me a chance to test things out. There is a shuttle that is used to take people from Ropley to Alresford for the main event so I figured that would come through. It would be going the wrong way but would allow some practice. However, there was more than I expected. The first thing to appear was a steam loco running light in reverse from Ropley. Turned out that it was the Scotsman heading from Ropley to Alresford to join the train. That was a nice option but, of course, it had no coaches and, since it was running downhill, it wasn’t making much power. The shuttle also ran back, and forth which gave me some practice while another train rain down to Alresford for a service that would come after the Scotsman had departed for its first run.
All of this provided me with time to play around with the set up and make sure all was working the way I wanted. Then it was time for the reason for being there. The train departed Alresford pretty much on time. Since it is quite a climb up to Ropley, the loco was making lots of power and there was a banking engine on the rear too. The smoke could be seen through the gap in the trees, so we knew it was coming. Eventually it came around the corner in the cutting, and we could get some shots.
I started the Insta360 first and then proceeded to get some longer shots as it approached. As it got closer, I dropped down and photographed through the fence to look up at the loco as it came closer. Then I switched to the PocketWizard and took a bunch of it as it passed. I have no control on where the camera chooses to focus in that situation, but I was rather happy with the results. I even got some interesting shots of the driver and one of the passengers leaning out of the window. Then I took a few shots of the train as it retreated. That was very backlit, but it still made for an interesting view. And then it was done! All of that prep for a brief moment.
The people rapidly scattered and I started disassembling the things I had put in place. I had brought a small stool with me but that had never been used. Too much messing with gear or chatting to the others that had come alone. It was a very friendly atmosphere and made you feel good about being out on a sunny Saturday morning. I retraced my steps to the car. As I walked along the lane, I heard another whistle and pulled up the camera I had on a strap around my shoulder. The train that had run down to Alresford earlier was now making its run. It was skylined on the ridge above me and I just happened to be by a gap in the hedge so was able to grab a few remaining shots. Then it was time to head home.
The Watercress Line had arranged for the Flying Scotsman to make a visit to the railway. This locomotive seems to really capture the attention of the public, so it was a major event for them. They even lengthened the platform at Alresford to allow longer trains to be formed meaning more passengers could be carried. They were running on two consecutive weekends, and my sister was interested in seeing it. I was always going to be game for a photo trip. She could only do one weekend of the two and I only had one day free that weekend so that was going to be the one.
Sadly, the weather wasn’t being very cooperative. It was very overcast and there was a decent chance of rain. Even so, there were plenty of people out at the crossing we were going to when we got there. Plenty of space for everyone but definitely popular. As the time for the loco approached, I changed a setting on the camera for a higher frame rate and got in position. I decided to take a couple of quick shots before it came in to view just to check all was well. It wasn’t!
As soon as I hit the shutter button, the screen was covered in a “Busy” message. This caught me out. It wouldn’t go away quickly. I turned the camera off, but it still took a while. When it came back on, I tried again and the same thing. This time I pulled the battery and reset. Third time the result was the same. By now the loco was coming into view. Since I didn’t know what the issue was and time was ticking, I tried switching over to video and that worked so I instead videoed the train as it came by.
The video was fine but not great and, if I had planned for that, I would have done things slightly differently. However, it did recover the situation to some extent. The video I took is below.
Once the train had gone, I went home and then pulled out the camera to see what had occurred. I had made a very dumb error. It would have been easily fixed too. When changing the frame rate, I had accidentally switched to the HC mode on the R3. This is the mode that allows 194fps in short bursts of up to 50 frames. Once you shoot like this, it locks up the buffer until everything has been written to the card. Then it is ready to shoot again. What a dope. Oh well, it wasn’t a total disaster and my sister got to see the train which was the main point of being there in the first place. However, now I was thinking about a second effort. More to come…
Early January of 1989, I had just got back to my college accommodation in London and decided to pay a visit to the RAF Museum in Hendon. I had a good time wandering around and looking the various old aircraft (and some that were not so old). There was a Lightning that was on display and they had only been withdrawn from service a couple of years before. Until recently, that was my only visit to the museum. I decided it was time for an update.
Plenty has changed in the intervening years (although some things haven’t – the Lightning exhibit seems to be exactly as it was back then judging by my old photos). The Beverley has gone from the car park, and a new building has gone up. Plenty of exhibits have changed around with some having relocated to other museums and others having been added.
The place was very busy. It is free to visit so, I suspect that makes it a popular place for families on a rainy weekend. Lots of young kids there including some that seemed young enough that they wouldn’t really be aware of what their parents were desperately trying to get them enthusiastic about. They did have a lot of learning exhibits which gave the kids things to try out.
I wasn’t there for that stuff, of course. I was just interested in the planes themselves. It was a lot of fun checking out the various hangars with their different subject areas. I wish I had noticed that the battery in my camera was not fully charged as I got to the end of the visit and was nursing whatever juice was left in it. There is always the phone to use, of course, so I wasn’t stranded but I might have been a bit miffed to carry around a body and two lenses if I couldn’t use them!
As is the way with this blog, I will be finding some specific exhibits from the museum that will get their own posts, so this is a more generic look at some of the other bits the museum has to offer. Looking at planes is not going to be everyone’s thing but, if you have even a passing interest in this sort of thing (and the fact you have got this far down in a post about the museum suggests you might have), I would recommend you spend a day in Hendon.
I guess I knew that there was an aviation museum in Southampton because I had heard about it in some place or other, but I wasn’t really au fait with what was there. However, I did know that it had a Shorts Sandringham flying boat which was a conversion of the Sunderland. One wet afternoon, I decided to head down and see what it was like. This proved to be a very good choice because it was a far better museum than I had expected.
Located a short distance from the centre of the city, Solent Sky museum is actually three museums in one. Aside from the aviation collection, there is a museum of Hampshire policing and of the fire service. There is also a selection of exhibits of Southampton’s history during the Second World War. Plenty to take a look at if you are able to dedicate some time.
The Sandringham dominates the main hall, and it will get its own post in due course so, other than it appearing in a wide shot, I won’t include specific pictures of it here. It is not the only flying boat. There is also a Saunder Roe SR.A/1 which is a very unusual type to find. Things are pretty crammed in because the building isn’t massive, and the collection is extensive. Tucked under the Sandringham is a Sea Vixen – a favourite of mine). There is a single seat Gnat, a Spitfire – a plane with strong Southampton connections – and a Supermarine S6 which will also get its own post. There are some human powered aircraft and some weird and wonderful types along with some Saro Skeeters!
A unique aircraft is the Wight Quadroplane which was designed and built on the Isle of Wight, and which went through a few modifications before it ended up as a collection piece. Some other originals and replicas add to the collection along with engines. It is a great selection. I have also stuck in a couple of images of the non-aviation stuff. Outside is the fuselage of an old QinetiQ BAC1-11and I understand a TrIslander has been delivered but is not yet on display. I guess I’ll have to go back for that at some point. What a pleasant surprise on a dreary afternoon.
The Watercress Line makes pretty regular appearances on this blog at the moment. Since it is close to home, if I am not doing something else, there is something on and the weather isn’t crummy, I might sneak across to get a few photos. One weekend morning, the Steam Gala was on. We had some plans later in the morning, but I figured the light would be best early and so headed across to Bishops Stoke to get some shots.
They had a variety of steam locos taking part (with the occasional diesel providing some support). Some were larger late generation locos, there were some tank engines and there was one that, to my untrained eye, looked like it was a lot older given the open area of the cab and the high chimney (is that the right term?). I used the same set up that I had tried previously with a longer lens handheld and a wide-angle lens set on the ground controlled by a Pocket Wizard. I also had the Insta360 mounted high on a fence to get some video.
The set up worked better this time. I had gone with a wider lens for the ground camera and also held the Pocket Wizard in a better way to allow a smoother transition from one shot to the other without any frantic fumbling! Overall, pretty happy with the way things worked out. I suspect I might head back for some of their other events this year if I am free (and the weather plays ball).
