© M J Turner Photography
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Something I've wanted to do for many years is railway photography. My dad used to take me trainspotting every weekend as a child along the Settle-Carlisle railway which is a beautiful and scenic stretch of line, but we both ended up getting more involved with hiking instead.
It's not until I started photography that I've thought about getting back into railway photography, but just kept putting it of and putting it off. One reason is that most steam tours seem to operate during the week when I'm working, but I managed to get out today and capture the Pendle Dalesman.
I've never considered myself a trainspotter as such, but I do love seeing steam trains in scenic locations such as this. There are a whole bunch of places along the Settle-Carlisle line that I hope to visit and photograph as it is such a beautiful journey from start to finish.
I actually noticed this vantage point on a hike a few months ago. I took a few images at the time, but I just felt like there was something missing. Although the steam locomotive doesn't leap out from the image I took today, it is a nice finishing touch in the bigger picture. I don't like just focusing on the train, but instead like to subtly include it in the surrounding scenery. The dappled light in Dentdale was just gorgeous, highlighting the pastures nicely. The mountain rising to the right is the highest point in the Dales, Whernside. The second highest mountain, Inglegorough, can just be made out in the background through the mists.
This is definitely a place I'd like to revisit and capture a different composition, maybe zoomed closer in on the viaduct minus the foreground. The thing with steam trains is that you only get one chance to capture them, and can't capture numerous compositions on the same outing. But I'm pleased with my first attempt nonetheless.....
