Photo by Michael Potratz
The Black Hills Central Railroad
Date: May 21, 2026
Photographer: Mike Potratz, West Des Moines, Iowa
Location: Keystone, South Dakota (Black Hills National Park)
In the Black Hills National Park, there is a steam engine train that provides “tourist” rides between the towns of Keystone and Hill City. We recently vacationed there and the railroad tracks ran right behind the cabin we were staying in! I had watched it each day to get a photo. Finally on our last day there, it was overcast and drizzly, just what I was hoping for in getting a great black & white photo of this engine. Stood along side the track and captured several photos as it approached, settling on this one as the framing and steam coming out the top was just right.
Post processing notes:
Camera & Settings: Nikon Z5, 50mm, ISO 400, f/16, 1/50th sec. Editor: ON1 Photo RAW Max 2026.4. Processes: Left the color temperature 'as shot'. All processing done using filters under the effects tab. A combination of the Vignette, Black & White, Glow, Tone Enhancer and Dynamic Contrast filters used to achieve the overall look. I used two different masks in the Local tab. One to enhance the train and one for the steam coming out the top of the engine.Exif information:
| Copyright: | All Rights Reserved |
| Camera: | NIKON Z 5 |
| Aperture: | f/16 |
| Focal Length: | 50mm |
| ISO: | 400 |
| Shutter Speed: | 1/50 sec. |
| Created: | May 21, 2026 12:19:50 |