I am kicking this idea around in my head:

It's a night shot of a moving train over a railway bridge. Very little ambient light, what there is comes mostly from train headlights/compartment interiors. Camera on tripod with exposure set for the bridge, probably a few seconds. Now, I would hold the flash in my hand and trigger it during the exposure while the train passes...should I use the strobe (diffused and at less power), or one full power burst to paint the train?

Here is a pix of the bridge, my position would be on the left side shooting at an acute angle to the train

Any comments? feasibility? forgot what?

Don't forget the train has a driver, who will be mightily pissed if you fire off a flash/strobe anywhere near his line of sight, painful, and you'll destroy his night vision.

This is one of the reasons photography is prohibited on most metro systems around the world (as well as the security issues).

Don't forget the train has a driver, who will be mightily pissed if you fire off a flash/strobe anywhere near his line of sight, painful, and you'll destroy his night vision.

This is one of the reasons photography is prohibited on most metro systems around the world (as well as the security issues).

Understood. Thank you. I would be standing to the side, shooting the train cars as they go by.

Forgot to mention on the first post, the trains go about 20-30km/h.

Should be interesting - but I'm not quite sure how this will work out?

If using a long exposure the lights on the train will create a nice linear blur but if you also use flash bursts this may superimpose sharp 'ghost' images on the blur which may look a bit odd?

If you use the flash on the locomotive as it arrives then the blur from the lights will move ahead of the sharp flash image and make it look like reverse 'speed blur'?

Couple of suggestions .....

Do a long exposure shot and trigger the flash manually pointing at the side of the locomotive and at full power right at the end of the long exposure - that way you get a sharp train and blurred light trail behind making it looks like it's moving fast. May need f22 and ISO100 or neutral density filter to prevent over-exposure? I think some cameras can do a second curtain flash synch if you want to do this automatically?

Long exposure to get a light trail from the train and use the flash to light-paint the bridge after the train has passed to get a sharp bridge with a long light trail from the train?

Either option will need a good tripod as the vibrations from the train may cause blur - perhaps hang your kit bag from the tripod to damp the vibrations?

Please post an update and a photo - will be interesting to see how this works out.

Should be interesting - but I'm not quite sure how this will work out?

If using a long exposure the lights on the train will create a nice linear blur but if you also use flash bursts this may superimpose sharp 'ghost' images on the blur which may look a bit odd?

If you use the flash on the locomotive as it arrives then the blur from the lights will move ahead of the sharp flash image and make it look like reverse 'speed blur'?

Couple of suggestions .....

Do a long exposure shot and trigger the flash manually pointing at the side of the locomotive and at full power right at the end of the long exposure - that way you get a sharp train and blurred light trail behind making it looks like it's moving fast. May need f22 and ISO100 or neutral density filter to prevent over-exposure? I think some cameras can do a second curtain flash synch if you want to do this automatically?

Long exposure to get a light trail from the train and use the flash to light-paint the bridge after the train has passed to get a sharp bridge with a long light trail from the train?

Either option will need a good tripod as the vibrations from the train may cause blur - perhaps hang your kit bag from the tripod to damp the vibrations?

Please post an update and a photo - will be interesting to see how this works out.

great comments, appreciated. I still don't quite know what kind of results I want...I have this image in my head of multiple exposures on the frame and I imagine what that may look like, but...the problem is the light blur. And the trains are not frequent at all, like every hour...bring sandwich.

well, tonite I go there to meter the location

Have you stood in the same spot as a train is passing the vibrations will probably be enough to make your tripod wobble....just a thought.

Can you trigger wirelessly in TTL mode?

If so I would get some coloured gel over the flash at full power and position the flash to illuminate the bridge, you could also use a torch and diffuse it with a piece of shower curtain or that thin foamy stuff you get when you but a new tv, dvd player, to paint a little foreground area. Even a few of them little tealight candles hidden behind the slabs on the floor aswell.

For the gels you don't need anything pro...just pop to your local supermarket and look for coloured plastic bottles like Mountain Dew, Sprite, Tizer, Iron Bru etc and chop them up....or look for foods wrapped in coloured cellophane.

Rear curtain flash and what ever colours you can find in gel materials.

Just throwing some ideas there Klaus, it may take many shots and some experimentation but with each shot you can learn what needs adjusting as you desire.

Look forward to seeing the finished pic.