It was a blazing hot afternoon when Jong and I decided to venture out to Lackawanna State Park in Pennsylvania. The plan was to capture some photos of these old train parts that had been scattered around the park, a perfect mix of nature and history that we were excited to document. It was about 2:00 PM, and the humidity hit us as soon as we stepped out of the car. Honestly, it felt like we were stepping into an oven. But, we were determined to make the most of it, cameras in hand, ready for the challenge.
We came prepared with our GoPro Hero 12 and GoPro Max 360, two cameras we love using for their versatility. These GoPros were perfect for this kind of environment, allowing us to film while taking pictures from different angles. The 360 feature especially let us capture the whole area in a way that felt immersive, like you were right there with us. We wanted to give people a real sense of what it was like to walk around the park, surrounded by these relics from the past.
As we started exploring, we quickly realized the heat wasn’t going to give us any breaks. The sun was relentless, and it wasn’t long before it started to slow us down. You can actually see in the video here that Jong had to take a seat under a tree at one point, just to catch his breath and get out of the sun for a bit. I couldn’t blame him—it was the kind of heat that makes you want to find the nearest shade and stay there. But, of course, we weren’t about to let a little heat stop us.
We took turns filming and snapping photos, trying to capture the worn textures and rusty details of the train parts. They had so much character, like each one had a story to tell. The contrast between the old metal and the green landscape around it was something special. It felt like we were stepping back in time, and we wanted to bring that feeling out in our photos and videos.
At one point, while Jong was cooling off under the tree, I kept wandering around, taking more footage with the GoPro Hero 12. The light was just right, hitting the old train parts in a way that made them look almost dramatic. I didn’t want to miss any good shots, so I kept going, even though I could feel the sweat dripping down my face. It was definitely one of those moments where you just have to push through and focus on the work.
After a while, Jong joined me again, and we kept exploring different areas of the park. Each corner seemed to reveal something new—an old wheel here, a forgotten piece of track there. We tried to capture every detail, knowing that these train parts were part of a larger story, one that’s easy to overlook unless you take the time to really appreciate them. That’s what I love about photography—it forces you to slow down and see things from a different perspective.
Despite the heat, we were having a good time. We were both feeling a bit worn out, but we couldn’t help but laugh at how much the weather was trying to beat us down. We joked about how this was probably not the best time of day to be out shooting, but hey, you can’t always pick the perfect conditions. Sometimes you just have to roll with it and make the best of the situation.
As we wrapped up the shoot, we looked back at the footage and photos we had captured. Even though it had been a tough day weather-wise, we were both really happy with what we had gotten. The GoPro footage really helped bring the park to life, giving a dynamic view of the area while also showing how we worked behind the scenes. It’s always fun to look back and see how everything came together.
By the end of the day, we were exhausted, but in that good, accomplished kind of way. There’s something satisfying about pushing through a challenge and seeing the results of your hard work. As we packed up our gear, we couldn’t help but feel proud of what we had done, knowing that the video and photos would serve as a great memory of our adventure.
So, if you check out the video, you’ll get a glimpse of what our day was like—the heat, the rest breaks, the creativity, and the fun we had along the way. Even on the hottest of days, there’s always something worth capturing, and this trip to Lackawanna State Park was no exception. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed putting it together!