Random scenes of trains in Japan.

Shinkansen train at Shinagawa Station.

One thing about Japan, there are plenty of trains to look at.  From quaint narrow gauge systems that take you up into the mountains to the very latest “Bullet Trains”, one is never bored looking at and shooting trains.  And people that are naturally found around train stations.  These photos were taken earlier this year and are good examples of addressing perspective.  By virtue of their length and narrow footprint, trains naturally draw your attention to the subject of your photos.  When shooting trains, quickly figure out the subject of the shot and use the train’s vanishing point to focus attention on the subject.  Of course, the same goes for any scene with strong bold lines.

All photos were shot with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AFS 24mm f/1.4 lens or Nikkor AFS 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

Osaka train station with waiting woman.

Works with bold lines.

Trains, lines, columns and rafters.

All aboard.

Pick a photographic theme – Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Train Station

Sikh man on train

One of the best ways to organize your photowalk is to pick a theme and then stick with it throughout the day.  On this particular day, the stroll through the train station picked the theme for me.  It didn’t take me long to decide to take photos of train passengers through the windows.  In picking a theme, you can then focus your attention on the photo itself.

For more information and photos of this train station, take a look at the posting prior to this one.

Photos taken with Nikon D700 and Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro lens.

Reading

Day dreaming

Reading too

Waiting for the train

Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong train station for photographs

Waiting for the train

One of the best venues for photographs is the main railway station, Hua Lamphong.  As you would expect, the station is bustling with passengers in various stages of travel.  Mainly they are waiting for their trains to depart and in this lack of activity, are occupied in their own worlds.  Some daydream, some sleep, while others pass the time communing with others.

I spent a few hours at the station over the last couple of days and found the personal side of humanity compelling.  Most people had no objections to taking their photos and those that did say no, did so politely.   Photos at this venue are completely different from photos taken uptown, mainly because rail travelers in Thailand are not focused on the latest trendy clothes or accessories but merely going home to loved ones.

Although, it’s a marvelous site for photos of trains, the station and the hustle-bustle of activity, I decided to photograph the human side of the station.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro lens.

Looking up

Three men getting haircuts

Girl power

Passing the time