If Trains Could Talk

There’s something timeless about trains. Maybe it’s the scale—the sheer size of a locomotive—or maybe it’s how they’ve always been there, quietly shaping our lives and landscapes. As a photographer, I keep coming back to trains, drawn in by their presence, their history, and that they are just cool to look at!

Growing up in the Midwest, trains were everywhere. I played with toy train sets, watched them from car windows on long road trips, and got swept up in movies like Money Train, Unstoppable and of course The Polar Express. Trains are magical and larger than life. And even now, they still feel like a little kid when I see one crossing a bridge. Of course waiting for a train when you’re late for work isn’t always pleasant but it happens and all you can do is admire them as rail car after rail car goes by.

Photographing trains isn’t just about the trains themselves—it’s about context. They bring texture to rural fields, grit to city sidings, and structure to a landscape. In this photo, the bold red of the CN engine cut through the muted tones of winter. You can almost hear it coming before it arrives, the low hum turning into a full roar as it passes overhead. I was teaching a photo class and it was bone cold out, I was ready to head hope. A student knocked on my truck window and said a train was coming so I forced myself to get out and set up for a picture. I was frozen but it was well worth it.

For me, each train shot captures a moment of motion wrapped in stillness. Whether they are rolling down the track or sitting idle in the yard I love pulling out my camera and capturing a photo of them. If they could talk just think of the stories they all could tell.

The collection of photos you see here were taken with everything from a Pentax K5iis and a Panasonic GX85, to — for the majority — an OM System OM-1. What do they have in common? None of them are full-frame cameras.

While I do own a full-frame camera, I’m a firm believer that all cameras can take great photos, and the OM-1 paired with the OM 12-40mm f/2.8 is an extremely capable setup. With its 8 stops of image stabilization, impressive IP53 weather sealing, and built-in Live ND filter, you can really get creative — which allowed me to capture the blurred train images handheld.

I prefer to travel light with just my camera and one or two lenses, and I seldom use a tripod. With many OM cameras offering Live ND and excellent stabilization, you can do that and still capture everything from milky waterfalls to nighttime traffic trails — all handheld. That flexibility matters with trains, because you rarely get a second chance — the light, the motion, and the moment are all gone in seconds, and being able to react quickly without setting up a tripod makes all the difference.

Today’s cameras are all incredibly capable of producing amazing images, so don’t let your gear stop you from shooting what you love. For me, the real joy is getting out and enjoying the experience of making photographs. Heck, I even throw older manual lenses on my cameras sometimes — so don’t let gear hold you back. Whether you’re using the latest Nikon, Canon, OM System body, or an older film camera, enjoy the process and the beauty of taking pictures.

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