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My Rail Videography Techniques
I've gotten a lot of questions about my rail video techniques. Here's a few ideas I had about shooting trains including angles, iris-shutter speed-Gain settings, zooming and more.
I've gotten a lot of questions about my rail video techniques. Here's a few ideas I had about shooting trains including angles, iris-shutter speed-Gain settings, zooming and more.
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One year old, or ten years old the operator of the equipment is the biggest influence on the outcome of the video. Weve been watching one of the best. Thank you Mr. Harmon.
Best railfan vids on Earth. And it's the talk, as much as the image, that make it so. MC&HNY!
I now really want a video about how those defect detectors work (ideally, as a collaboration with Destin of Smarter Every Day).
Danny Harmon: *uploads* Everyone Of Danny’s Subs: *NANI*
It's quite interesting to learn about the inspection systems. I didn't realize that's what they looked like. Gave the video a like!
@mrcrazywar12themadness41
3 жыл бұрын
CRAFTYFOXE
Danny, Merry Christmas to you and your wife
@greatsmokymtnsrailfan
4 жыл бұрын
Same here.
Thanks to you and other rail fans world wide who spend their time and money to post these for our enjoyment. Merry Christmas.
No one does this better than you Danny. That is why i watch your videos, more than once.
Great tips, I'll add a couple: *1.* Shoot darker than brighter, the outdoor brightness makes your video look deceptively dark on the back of the camera. It is also easier to boost shadows than bring down highlights in editiing. *2.* Shoot the lowest gain / ISO possible, increasing ISO makes the image brighter but also reduces overall detail in the highlights / shadows and reduces sharpness. *3.* If you don't have a good tripod it is better to choose a shot and leave the camera still than to make jerky movements.
Hello Danny, I really appreciate your experience and insights. I hope you make a detailed video on voice over tips. I've always been self-conscious about my voice, even before I got into video; however, I'm hoping to finally get into it. With your 40+ years of experience, I'd love nothing more than to see and understand your set up and workflow! We all have a lot to learn from you.
Hi Danny, I am starting to hear your voice a lot now on TV. If you ever get up this way, I'll take you out for some beautiful railroading. I'll take you out to Promontory so you can see where the Wedding of the Rails occurred. I'll take you up Weber and Spanish Fork Canyons for some serious mountain railroading. STAY SAFE, above all else!!! I like yer' stuff!!!
@dalecomer5951
4 жыл бұрын
What TV spots is Danny doing that you hear where you live? When I first started watching Danny's videos his voice seemed familiar but I couldn't remember anything specifically.
@wasatchrangerailway6921
4 жыл бұрын
@@dalecomer5951 Northern Utah. Brigham City to, be exact!!!
@WBJ1942
4 жыл бұрын
@@wasatchrangerailway6921 I live in Bountiful, and I think I hear his voice on some TV commercials.
@wasatchrangerailway6921
4 жыл бұрын
@@WBJ1942 Hey Warren, you are right, you can hear his voice a lot. He does a lot of different tv and radio spots. His voice is the perfect fit!!!
Merry Christmas Danny & Family from Australia..For my videos , I just use a (currently) Samsung S9 cell (we call them mobile) phone.Any narrations are recorded using voice recorder.Narration editing using Audacity and video pad for the final video edit.All free downloads. S9 records in HD 1080.
Danny your narration is absolutely spot on and a joy to listen to. I swear you could narrate a video of paint drying that would be a joy to watch. Love your vids, stay safe and well and keep it going. Thanks
Danny You're AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for everything. I've learn a TON about railroading from you alone.
Danny your editing is top notch! Thats only part of the reason I'm stuck on your videos. You are informative, so I learn stuf and you are darned charming too with a great taste for my kind of chow in between shots. I and lots of others appreciate your efforts!
I appreciate the audio quality you capture on your videos.
Danny it was very nice to meet you at Folkston. I hope you got to feeling better and thank you for taking time and letting me say hello-Trey
Danny, thank you for the informative video. You never disappoint. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
@distantsignal
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks Jerry. Merry Christmas.
The few rules I have for videoing trains are 1. begin with the train approaching, 2. do the pan for the receding train about 3-5 cars before the end (depending on the speed of the train), and 3. really long trains (11,000 feet? WHAT?) generally are not for me, unless, I suppose, the train is going by at 70 mph. Thanks for all your hard work in sharing these terrific videos. And I've learned a lot from them. Merry Christmas.
@jovetj
4 жыл бұрын
Good editing can make even the longest train not too tedious to watch!
My 6 year old son and I love your video's. Just wish you were in Cali back in the 90's with this tech :) Merry Christmas too you and your family!
A wonderful holiday greeting, valuable tips and my pals Travis Taylor and Shannon Sikora. The perfect gift for someone 3000 miles away. Thanks again Danny and Merry Christmas to you and yours.
@distantsignal
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks Ken! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!
DS ought to be on scheduled broadcast tv! Well done, would not miss your work.....
So much to learn - think I'll leave the videography to the experts and just enjoy them. And we do enjoy them all. Happy Holidays Danny to you and yours from Canada.
Amazing! Thanks for allowing me the wonderful opportunity to always learn more about the wonderful world of railroading. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have the passion and desire to learn more about this wonderful trade. Thanks for all that you have shown us this year and I look forward to many more great videos in 2020! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Wow Danny this , this was very informative, and thank you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours :-)
@distantsignal
4 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Erik!
As always, a great video. I/we greatly appreciate your sharing of your knowledge. I'm an old-school still photographer (after 40-some-odd years, I've never owned a camcorder). But, like you, I love polarizers. Every one of my still lenses has a polarizer on it all the time, as many photographers keep skylight filters on their lenses full-time. Since I shoot almost exclusively outdoors during the day, I find it easier to remove the polarizer on the rare occasion that I don't want to use it. I love a deep-blue sky. Thanks again for another amazing and enjoyable video!
Thanks for the video advice, Danny. It's much appreciated. Out here, on the Union Pacific, Pacific Coast Line, Santa Barbara subdivision, we see mostly Amtrak and Metrolink passenger trains, the Oxnard local, and normally one freight per day, always in the late afternoon/early evening. There is one southbound oilcan train per week, with a turnaround a couple days later. There are more freights at night but there's no lighting anywhere, even in the Oxnard yard. We are between two airports, so drone operations are absolutely forbidden. Again, thanks for the advice. Jon.
@dalecomer5951
4 жыл бұрын
I would say out here on the former Southern Pacific Coast Main Line. I'm old enough to have seen the Coast Daylight pulled by a magnificent GS Class locomotive and a hundred or so orange reefers pulled seemingly without effort by a single AC locomotive. SP even had beautiful steam switchers.
This is what I love about Danny's videos. Informative, actually knows what he's talking about, doesn't yell or come off as a "foamer", and lets the trains speak for themselves when they go by. Some channels need to take note.
@distantsignal
4 жыл бұрын
You are too kind. Thank you.
@dapster
4 жыл бұрын
@@distantsignal You're welcome.
Really enjoy your interesting and informative videos . I grew up watching trains on Eastern Long Island New York. So very different than today’s railroading.
Danny, HUGE thank you for this. With only an iPhone 11 (video) and a Panasonic FZ1000 (photo) as my gear, I’ve found your trips to be beyond helpful for me and many other rail fans. I’m considering a camcorder for my videos but find the latest model iPhone sufficient for now. Happy Holidays to you! -CJR
@SoonerStateSirens1
4 жыл бұрын
John Stephenson reviewers are picky as fuckinn hell
I really appreciate your production valve don't undervalue your amazing narration
No doubt, You are most definitely the Master of railroad videography..!!!
I keep a second radio scanning between the two end of train device frequencies. I usually start hearing the EOT packet bursts when the train is 3-4 miles out. This gives me a few minutes to double check my equipment settings, position, etc. It also helps me to locate trains when I am traveling.
Crisp winter morning, a hot cup of coffee and a new video from Danny. Perfect start to my day. Merry Christmas railfans!
Brilliant work. I saw the Trop cars and immediately drank a liter and a half of Bradenton’s best. Refreshing.
I had a feeling that you were going to catch me in action in this video you expertly created, Danny. Hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and I shall see you in April 2020 for Rail Watch, man. Much love from Selma, NC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -MG
@mikehoncho658
4 жыл бұрын
Rail Stalker I’m from Sanford NC, we have the historic railroad museum or something like that, CSX main line runs straight through this town and I know the schedule for all Amtrak trains through here and most freight trains, you should come down this way sometime
@RailStalkerAdventures
4 жыл бұрын
@@mikehoncho658 I'll keep that in mind, bud
Thank for the helpful camera tips. I still use my old trusty Canon HD-40 I got in 2009. It's beginning to show its age now, but still serves the purpose. Pan Am Railways has a similar tunnel issue with the Hoosac Tunnel. Stack trains are broken down at Mechanicsville, NY and sent east as single-stacks through to Ayer, MA and other points east. There has been discussions as well regarding lowering the bed or raising the ceiling on this 4.75 mile tunnel.
Love your videos. I watch all of them. Railfanning in the Southeast is different than here in Utah. Keep the videos coming. Love it.
Nice work Danny ! I see you also use a Miller..Nice ! You forgot to mention they are made down here in Australia and are regarded as one of the best in the world. They don't push the "Aussie" made theme too much , as the snobs in Hollywood wouldn't buy them if they knew we made them ..LOL. I love mine and have two pairs of legs and it travelled all over the US and Canada with me. Like me , always shoot manual exposure and have the sun behind you. I always do a manual white balance for each location and use 180 deg shutter. ie shutter speed twice that of your frame rate. This is a pro rule but makes for clean images. The old saying is ...in photography you have to know the rules before you can break the rules ! Another trick is to turn off the image stabilizer when using a tripod , this will give you a better image and it does make a difference!. As always I love your work and welcome to the "MIller" club "mate" Cheers Gregg .
Great video, love hearing the details of how you make your great videos. Really appreciate the time you put in, and the quality of the videography and the information you present. First Class!
You sir , are a true pro when it comes to train video quality . You're getting pretty good with the drone too ! You through youtube give us all unending pleasure doing what we love most , WATCHING TRAINS ! 👍👍👍
always love your videos i work for a contractor who does drainage and piping for a local railroad since seeing more of your videos through last year ive just about watched all of them . i use a scanner to listen to the railroad and i have recorded some trains too its more fun than people think . keep up your videos always cool to see where the southern rails take ya . i am in north east to mid ohio we travel on what used to be the nickel plate railroad . norfolk and western . and many more .
Thanks for the hints and tips on videography Danny, very helpful next time I’m trackside.
Great video! Thank you. This is perfect timing as I’m going to start a train youtube channel in 2020. I always enjoy watching your content. Happy Holidays!
A true craftsman with the lens!
Great advice and pointers. Thank you from Canada (a CP fan).
I do binge watch. I wish i lived near some main lines. Great explanation today on videogrophy TY.
Best railfan videos on the internet. Excellent videography, excellent narration, excellent historical information. VERY well done, Danny!
Danny, I really appreciate all the information you so freely give. It's a pleasure just watching your videos
Your a great fan Danny I and a great guy in trying to help other fans out with your knowledge. Have a great and safe holiday season and keep those great videos of yours coming.
Danny thank you for the info! I look forward to your videos and be reviewing your past videos a thousand times and enjoy them! I am planning a trip to folkston soon and hope to catch glimpse of you just to shake your hand and to say thank-you!!!
Hey Danny, Galaxy here. Just wanted to wish you and your family a very merry Christmas and hope to see plenty more train videos from you in the following year ^^ Keep up the fantastic and amazing work you put into these very informative videos for young aspiring railfans like myself!!!
@distantsignal
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! You have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Great video, Danny! Even though I’m a professional photographer I never ever say that I know absolutely everything. There’s always room for improvement and learning and improving on the skills you have already mastered over the years. But as always say, you learn everyday and there is no harm in seeing what other people do and their techniques and so you can build on your strengths/weaknesses and become better every day. I find these videos incredibly useful and I thank you for taking the time to show us your tips and tricks of how you do your filming. I was most interested about the drone information. Actually seeing it visually has helped this Autistic to understand it a bit better, so I thank you! Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you. Festive greetings from South Australia. Cheers, Caleb
I thought I commented earlier, but anyway, I love the cameras that have a viewfinder on them as well as the fold out screen. It makes it so much easier to get video of smaller things in motion, like birds etc. Your pans and zooms are so smooth, that mount explains a bit of that, but I'm guessing that's a skill that is acquired from lots of experience. Thanks for another great video.
Hey Cool Danny, I somehow made it into your video. Was happy to see you at Folkston Winter Watch 2019, and hope to see you at Folkston Rail Watch 2020. Merry Christmas to you and your family bud!
Dan. it's incredible. ,The. miriod of technology. when any. given. situation arises Thanks for. all of your productions
@distantsignal
2 жыл бұрын
Much appreciated, Paul.
North Bergen and a lot along the south river line in NJ is great railfanning this is my home turf
@shorelinerailproductions
4 жыл бұрын
Evan G the river line is very dead I prefer the Lehigh line
Merry Christmas Danny & Distant Signal community.
@jovetj
4 жыл бұрын
Back at you! Stay safe out there!
Great videos Danny love your videos I live in Massachusetts now I lived in PalmCoast FL from 2005 till 2018 and go to watch FEC Trains you have the best videos
Thanks Danny. Merry Christmas to all. Greetings from New Zealand
The CSX has tunnels to raise the roof on in WVa just like Howard St and for the double stack but from the west. Keep on keeping on. Thoroughly enjoy your stuff.
Very interesting stuff. Thanx, Danny, for all you do! And I still think you have a great voice.
I want to let you know that I really enjoy your informative and authoritative videos. May you have a merry and blessed Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.
One of the best railfanning channels someone can ask for. Keep up the good work!
Well Done Danny. Would like to see more of these videos!!!!! A huge railfan.
@distantsignal
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks Larry!
As always, thanks for a great video. I worked on Sony cameras, as well as the old RCA cameras for many years. The Sony, solid state were a breeze. The thing I enjoy most about your stuff, is the fact that, you work as videographer, Producer, Editer and Talant: Wow!
That inspection device is wild. Never seen them before
Love your stuff Danny. From a mate from Aus. Keep your good work going mate.
Those power lines at 3:30 made my heart stop. Speaks to the importance of pre-planning your flight path and knowing your surroundings. Well done.
Cant be said enough, great stuff Danny - jargon, captures, info etc. Look forward to the next. Merry Xmas to you and yours
Merry Christmas to you Danny, I always look forward to new videos from you & I always learn something from your expertise! I live in UP country (with some BNSF) and your videos have me watching trains more and more.
Great KNOWLEDGE and something to learn for EVERYONE in this video! Thanks DANNY! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Nice to see another great shot from down at the end of the street. Merry Christmas from Belleview. 🎄
Danny you are a pro, I've learned on my angles and shots thanks to your examples of how you shoot video, this would be a great teaching tool for those first getting into this!
I'm glad I watched this video. Currently in the process of finding some sort of video camera, and not sure if I go for the traditional cam-recorder or a DSLR. I used a really nice industry standard Sony in my Community College video class, and truly love how the zoom and manual focus feels, plus being able to adjust shutter speed, gain, and iris. However, even the basic ones seem super cheap and I feel the ones I want that are good are way out of my price range. At least people on KZread and elsewhere are good at making reviews of products.
Thanks again Danny, I read somewhere in trains magazine that csx control recieve data back from locomotives on any faults that are occuring or a likely to need some examination. So maybe a quick snap of that wheelset. Have a Merry Christmas from Sydney, to you and Family and fantastic New Year. Look forward to more informative adventures in 2020.
Great video as always, that scanner detector is quite the investment - would like to see more about it
Merry Christmas Thank you for the videos - I am not a "railfan" yet, (more interested in the radio side) but always interested and your videos are great!
Merry Christmas. Good detail in your explanations on this video. I'd like to see more like this in the future.
Danny your coverage of railways are the best very knowledgeable, keep up the Great work!
Danny, thank you so much for this incredibly informative video! Merry Christmas to you and your wife! And have a happy new year!
I just learned more about videography in 14 minutes than I would have picked up in ten years. It sure does help to have a REAL PRO behind the viewfinder! I have a few ideas for titles for this video: --"Danny's Railfan Video Master Class" --or how about: --"Everything you need to know to make excellent railfan videos-- or any videos, for that matter" As always, excellent videography! Keep up the good work, thanks! And Merry Christmas to you and Liz.
Another cool video... thanks! and a bunch of ditch lights and mid DPUs.... love it!! Happy Holidays Danny!
Great video, Happy Holidays to you and your family. I have learnt so much from your videos. Bob Alberta.
Love your videos! Always excited to see uploads from you. Merry Christmas.
Excellent video Danny, Informative, hard to beat ,many Thanks, love TRAINS !
Thanks for your insights, Danny. Some of the best railroad videography I've seen is on this channel, and this video explains some of why that is.
I just got a Sony AX53 last summer and I love it. Now I need a good tripod like you have
@vitissubrailfan2540
4 жыл бұрын
How much does that series cost?
I have the same model Sony camera and I really enjoyed using it for several years. It had great color and did pretty well for night shots without adding noise. I’m using a Panasonic HC-X1 now but I am frustrated with the noise it puts out despite how well it performs in every other aspect. Thanks for another great video.
Love watching your videos! I Grew up around the CSX yard in Pensacola, Fl where my step dad drove the engines and it has very interesting and entertaining learning what some of that jargon was all about. Q602 seems like something I remember hearing a lot. God bless you sir and thanks for your avid dedication to railfanning, I believe it’s gonna be super interesting what we learn in the future! Keep up the good work dude.
Thanks for the tips Danny. I learned a little something new.
Merry Christmas to all... Another wonderful video !
Love the way you get the double-stacks to look like they're an inch wide. Must be a long telephoto shot I guess. Merry Christmas and Happy and safe New Year to you. Keep up the good work. :-)
Thank You,Danny. As I've said before,I always come away with a renewed or just plain new understanding of the workings of a Railroad and in this case,something I know very little about and that is how to film the correct way. Merry Christmas,My friend!
A very Merry Christmas to you too! Thank you for the insightful video! I’m still learning the tricks to good videography and still need to invest in the right equipment. Till then, I do appreciate that you don’t just do railfan videos, but also describe the ins and outs as well to help beginners like me out. I may be from the west coast where the railroading style is a little different, yet there is wisdom to be learned in you’re videos that is hard to find anywhere else. Thanks again for the great videos! You’ve certainly got the talent! God bless! ~Nate
@distantsignal
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks very much Nathaniel. Those are very kind words.
@9railfan
4 жыл бұрын
@@distantsignal You're very much welcome, you deserve it! I look forward to seeing more of you're tutorials! I've used the videos on reading signals to help train my model railroad club members for realistic operation, they've been really helpful. Have a blessed grand new year of railfanning!
Thank you very much Danny Harmon Cannot wait to see what you have in store for the new year Kevin From Illinois
@distantsignal
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks very much, Kevin.
I like how if you look closely at Owensboro, you can still see the remnants of when Owensboro was major point on the Seaboard.
Thank you for the tips, Danny Harmon! Merry Christmas!
Thanks for this - great to know how you make such terrific videos
Merry Christmas to you and your family Danny. I so look forward to your videos as they are always entertaining and full of very useful information.