USA Back of a Chicago El Train, Chicago, Illinois
The back of an El train turns out to be a pretty great spot for some fine art shots.
Photography Tips
These are pretty tricky shots because you'll usually want a somewhat long exposure (these were shot at about a half second) to get the blur, and you're probably not going to bet set up a tripod in an El car, so you have to improvise a bit. To complicate matters, you'll want the front of your lens to be as close to the glass as possible to minimize the glare. The El can be a pretty rough ride, so to maximize your chances of getting a clean shot you'll want to press the front of your lens (or lens hood) up against the glass. You'll also probably want to shoot at a pretty open aperture to keep the shutter speed at around a half second while minimizing the ISO and dust on the El's glass.
Travel Information
The El runs underground at various locations throughout the loop. Your best bet is probably to hop on the Red line and look for a train that has the back car open. Not all trains will leave the last car open, so you might have to exercise some patience and hunt for a while.
Spot Type
Outdoor
Crowd Factor
A decent amount of people
Best Timing
All timings are equally good
Sunrise & Sunset
06:38 - 16:31
| current local time: 21:18
Photo Themes
abstract
Architecture
Street
Train
Train Station
Trains
Locations
Chicago
Chicago Downtown
Chicago Loop
Illinois
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