Glenfarg Railway Tunnels

It has been too long a time since I have been out with my camera exploring. So, an invitation from my friend Mark Chalmers to investigate and take photographs of the Glenfarg Railway Tunnels was accepted enthusiastically.

The walk into an explore is as important as the explore itself for me, so I am very grateful to have companions that I can meander slowly with. Friends who are not fixated on collecting geographic trophies, they insist instead on a richer experience.

As we walked, we chatted, the landscape repairing us both. It was a mild morning and I was seduced by the aroma and taste of autumn. When trees begin to lose their leaves, they reveal landscapes and buildings that only keen explorers will discover in summertime. If you were unaware of the Tunnels then you may miss the clues of their existence along the abandoned track that leads to them, now overgrown with vegetation and trees.

There are two tunnels, each around 500 meters long. They are sound in condition but very dark. Mark had advised me to take a torch and a flashgun so that we may take long exposures and create light paintings.

I am afraid to say that I came inadequately prepared for our shoot. I forgot my flashgun and the torch I took was not bright enough. As a result, I didn’t get many good photographs. A lesson from Mark on how to use a flashgun to make exposures in an underground setting was the order of the day. With his DSLR set on BULB, Mark emitted the light from his handheld flashgun several times, taking care not to be in the shot himself. Multiple exposure were made to ensure he got the results he desired. When I got home, I consolidated my new knowledge with some internet research.