External Train Photography
Railway photography really falls into two groups - those who want to picture trains on the move and those who want more detail. On the move of course the camcorder reigns supreme but stills can be spectacular for instance:- silhouette on the Ribblehead viaduct and the Jacobite on the Glenfinnan viaduct. Generally in the country a long view is best as it puts the train & rails into a context, an exception being exiting from a tunnel. If one is out in the country then it is more than likely a train will be lengthy - think Eurostar 17 coaches, container trains 30 or so wagons and many platforms now are being extended to take 12 plus coaches.
If one is concentrating on a special train eg Tornado, Flying Scotsman, Eurostar, Royal Train keep the background fairly clear. A final note for exterior photos - with the exceptions of viaducts & embankments the best pictures are usually obtained from a raised viewpoint to take advantage of the depth of view and when possible use a tripod & remote shutter release
Another facet of external train photography is railway architecture & infrastructure. Many stations and sheds etc in this country are English Heritage listed (Simon Jenkins has done a book of 100 best stations) but there are still plenty of subjects particularly on the Heritage lines. Naturally the rest of the world has even more variety to tempt avid train photography enthusiasts.