SPRING IN FOCUS

Photography is a superb medium of telling a story, explaining an event or describing a point in history. All of this is certainly true in the railway industry, and one photographer who currently excels in making the most of an ‘alternative viewpoint’ is Jack Boskett .In his own words and pictures, he guides readers through his thoughts on photography, and how to stand out from the crowd.

The question most frequently asked of me is: ‘What camera do you use?!’ My equipment has varied over the years, but I have always worked with full frame cameras. I learnt the hard way, using film as a youngster with a 35mm Pentax K1000 body and later in my teenage years with a medium format Mamiya 645 camera. It was a brilliant learning curve.

Today I use a Nikon D5 and D6, along with a host of suitable Nikon lenses that are used depending on the job in hand. Throughout the digital era I have used Nikon D200, D3, D3S, D4, D4S and D850 bodies. Every single camera has produced the quality I was looking for at the time. What makes a huge difference is that I change shutter speeds, aperture and focal points manually; I don’t like to rely on automatic functions.

For the majority of the population, modernday life has automatically placed a camera in their hands, giving the ability of capturing moments without a second thought. For others, photography is more artistic. It allows you to tell a story through the pictorial means of a camera, be that a top-of-the-range digital SLR or a low-cost mobile phone.

Remember that it is the photographer’s eye and knowledge which comes up with the concept, not the camera. Although the quality of the body is important, that’s just the tool for the job. It’s like complimenting a mechanic on fixing a car to a high standard and then asking: ‘What spanners do you use?’

Considerations

Where railway photography is concerned, the varying uses of cameras are immense. It may be sharing some of the signs of a day out with like-minded individuals through photo-sharing website Flickr, social media or a forum. It may be photographing a particular scene, location, or aspect of the railway industry for use in publicity, or it could simply be the act of recording the scene for posterity. Today’s photograph is tomorrow’s archive.

Some photographers seek to use the photographic medium in different styles, moving away from the standard front-threequarter views to capture similar scenes but from a different point or perspective. One of the advantages of photography is that while there are some basic rules of thumb, the whole medium and what makes a good or bad photograph is subjective – after all, the world would be a dull place if we all thought and acted the same!

Personally, photography has always been about expression and creativity. I enjoy the challenge of planning, setting up and then executing the shot. My reward comes with capturing an alternative view of an ordinary scene that other photographers have not produced before, purely through changing perspective.

Photographic charters on heritage railways provide opportunities to think outside the box. The general consensus is that there is one angle where you can achieve the ‘perfect’ picture in the best light. Once one photographer spots it, others tend to follow and, as a result, they can all be seen huddling together to get that ‘perfect picture’.

There is nothing wrong with this way of working, and it will undoubtedly produce a stunning shot. But for me, I often wander away from the pack and look at how the landscape or surroundings can be used to my advantage. This way, I aim to capture the whole scene that simply features the chartered train, rather than making it the sole purpose.

Having said that, these ideas do not always work! It can be a case of looking at the shot later and deciding what I’d do differently next time if the opportunity arises.

I am fortunate that, through my work as a professional photographer, I have been able to access locations and environments which are normally out of reach. These have presented me with photographic achievements, both in and out of the rail industry – many of which have not only been a pleasure, but an immense privilege.

I am humbled to say I have worked on exclusive jobs with railway companies, the national press and even with members of the Royal Household.

Opportunities like these make all of the hard work worthwhile and for that I am extremely grateful.

It may be reassuring to know that my skill set is entirely self-taught. I have not completed a photography degree or attended any course. My learning has come from encouragement and constructive criticism from my father, who put that camera in my hand at the age of five. From then my approach has turned into a ‘learn by doing’ method, improving through reflection and practicing further.

Approach

Photography is very personalised, so just because one friend, individual or magazine does not like a particular image, it doesn’t mean it is incorrect.

The best thing to do is consider their view and reach your own conclusion as to what works best for you.

The selection of images here span the past couple of years, and in all cases have not needed special access to achieve. Each photograph was obtained either out on the

line side from a public vantage point, or during a photographic event.

Several individuals and organisations operate a number of these events at various heritage railways and museums around the country.

I hope that this feature will inspire other photographers to be more creative behind the lens. Do not be afraid to come up with something different and make use of the landscape around us.