Location Help

[chantel617]

Hi! I have been asked by a friend to take her family pictures. She wants to do them either on train tracks or with an old vehicle. I have seen some photographers who have taken pictures with this really old cool truck and I was wondering where it was located and if I need special permission to take photos there. Any suggestions? Also, where can I take pictures with trains without getting in trouble?

 

[Mustlovedragons]

If it's one certain and specific truck you need, why not ask those photographers where they got access? If it's any vintage or antique auto, you can ask car clubs or even run a CL ad to ask. I had great luck with the local Harley shops and car clubs and even CL ads. As for trains, I don't know. Tracks alone would be easier. As long as you aren't messing with their stuff and can see both ways clearly to move and don't interfere with train operation, I don't see it matters. I use tracks a lot for my shoots and have never had a problem.

 

[PenguinPhotoWrx]

Be very careful with train tracks- what you think may be inactive may not really be. Also, most train tracks are private property.

Having said that, if you have access to an industrial park (you never said where you were!), often times (especially in the 50's and 60's), factories were built right next to train tracks to facilitate getting products and materials into/out of the factory. With the building up of the road system and truck transportation becoming much less expensive, alot of those train tracks were abandoned and make an excellent part of photographs, either as background or subject.

Years ago I shot some rock band promo shots on some train tracks, in B&W, and they came out excellent. Overgrown weeds and some abandoned equipment really gave the pictures that old, tough look, especially with no color.

So see if you can find some tracks in back of a factory- even if it is fenced in, the tracks have to come out from the fenced in area eventually.

As far as an old truck, see if you can find one sitting around a body shop where they repair vehicles. They often have future projects, or parts vehicles, sitting off to the side of the building. And there's always a junk yard if you're desparate. You'll definitely have to ask permission in those places, though.