I climbed to the top of the studio to take this picture of a passing steam train. It was the second time it had passed, this shot being the return leg, so a better angle as it passed the studio.
A quick crop and I delivered copies to the various social media posters on site. The picture appealed to more people than I imagined, garnering thousands of ‘likes’ and hundreds of comments across it’s various Facebook postings. Along the way, it generated it’s own steamy hot air.
So, there’s a Hassleblad laying around at RW *and* Peter knows how to use it?
Steam trains appear to have a huge appeal, so what seemed like a throw-away image hase garnered more comment and activity than anything else recently. Having shot this with my old 5D using a 17-40mm f4 lens whilst handholding the 5D Mk11 in my other hand for a tighter shot, it’s been amusing to read some of the comments…maybe I should have put them right, but I didn’t have the heart.
...unless someone has a penchant for making images square to a thousandth decimal place, it was shot with a (the) square format camera which would be a Hasslebad ( the first camera the U.S.took into space, and then the moon). I ran the original into PS and it measures 14.222 inches high and wide.
I am (as my profile pic shows) a medium-format guy from way back. The high-resolution scan must look fantastic. What are the chances we could see an autumn, winter, and spring version of this same view?
Loney dear
The Appearance of Colour
The Radiophonic Workshop
Roddy Woomble at Kings Place
A Guy Called Gerald on Loudness
The Power of Distortion
© 2011 - 2025 York Tillyer