Last year I was assigned to the Santa Express, a ride on a historical train through Bellofonte to celebrate the holidays with a reading of the Polar Express, and a visit from Santa. I hadn’t been on a train since I was a youngster and didn’t think about the motion aspect of the journey. When I stepped off the train after the hour long adventure I felt terrible. Walking the wrong direction of the train, kneeling and taking photos completely threw off my equilibrium.
The ride is a big success and tickets sell out faster and faster each year. This year when I found out I had the same assignment I was prepared. I made sure I had some food in my stomach, I had Dramamine on hand, a ginger ale in the car and tried my best to stay moving in the direction that the train was. For my equilibrium the ride was a great success. For my photos I have mixed feelings. As I started weaving through the cars with Elf, and Santa himself I discovered my flash batteries were dead. I figured it would be okay especially as we entered a car with all red and green lights. Perfect for the holiday spirit, not for my white balance. The effect didn’t turn out as I hoped and left me with a discolored Santa.
Next year I know I need prepare for the motion, and double check all batteries since the spares in my car do no good when I’m on a train.
