My dad was an avid rail photographer who started me out taking train photos at a very young age. I have started adding some of my dads work after I inherrited his work when he passed away in March 2024.

I started with the infamous Kodak 126 "Instamatic" cameras and a black 120 box camera, which I don't remember the name of. I then graduated to a Pentax Spotmatic in 1972 or 1973, I know for sure I was shooting the Spotmatic by October 73. Later I would get a Pentax ME SE with a winder (not a motor drive :( ).

In the early 1990s I switched to the Nikon platform with an FM2 and a Motor Drive, a Nikkor 50mm f1.8, and a used Azinuma 135mm f2.8. Next I stepped up to the N90s with a Tokina 28-70mm ATX f2.8 and a Nikkor 80-200mm ED AF-S f2.8 Zoom lens. I then sold the N90s and bought my much loved F5, which I still have. In 2006 I made the jump into digital with a Nikon D200, but still continued using the F5, since I was not sold on the whole "digital fad" yet. In 2024 I took the next step and went mirrorless with a Nikon Z6II and in July 2026 I added the Nikon Z8.

My current gear I carry in my Think Tank Photo Airport Airstream Rolling bag:

Nikon Z6II

Nikon Z8

Nikkor Z 24-70mm f2.8 S

Nikkor Z 14-24mm f2.8 S

Nikkor F 70-28mm F2.8 ED AF-S (F Mount)

Nikkor FTZ II

Nikkor TC14II 1.4X Teleconverter

I am colorblind! If you see some totally whacked out colors, please say something and let me know what is wrong color wise. I find being colorblind is a real handicap and challenge when it comes to color management when scanning slides and negatives, especially the older stuff which have perhaps started to color drift from age.

I have worked in the railroad industry most of my adult life, working almost three decades for Siemens out in the field commissioning new Light Rail Vehicles, Locomotives, and Coaches. I retired from Siemens in 2016 and went into the world of consulting, which has been a lot more enjoyable. It is a totally different experience working for the equipment buyer than it is working for the equipment builder, and I much prefer being on this side of the table.

Thanks for looking,

John