How I got the photo: The Last Train

Sometimes, the stars align. A moody location, a strong concept, and a creative challenge that pushes you just far enough out of your comfort zone to make something truly memorable. That’s exactly what happened with this image—The Last Train—a portrait I took as part of a High ISO challenge.

I took this photograph on location at the historic Puffing Billy Railway, working with the always fabulous Emily Reinhard. The concept was vintage-inspired glamour with a touch of old Hollywood drama, and I knew straight away this scene needed to feel cinematic, timeless, and just a little haunting. The steam, the light, the styling—everything came together beautifully. But the real key to making this photo work? Shooting at ISO 3200 with the PolarPro Black Everyday Mist filter.

The challenge: Shoot at high ISO

The brief was simple: use a high ISO and still produce a beautiful, technically strong image. That meant leaning into the noise, the softness, and any quirks that came with it. But for this particular shot, it also meant embracing atmosphere—not fighting it.

Normally, I’m quite controlled with ISO. But this challenge allowed me to play, to experiment, and to find beauty in imperfection. Shooting at ISO 3200 gave me the freedom to work in lower ambient light and keep a faster shutter speed to catch the subtle motion of steam without motion blur.

Why the black mist filter?

Enter the PolarPro Black Mist 1/4 filter. I’ve been testing this filter for a little while now, and I while I’m not a huge fan of the CPL function. I quite like the ND side of this filter. It darkens the image enough to boost the ISO as required. Also, it blooms the highlights and softens contrast—especially in outdoor portraits. Finally, it gives skin a gentler look and lifts the image out of the digital realm into something more analog.

For this shoot, the filter helped:

• Soften the steam from the engine into an ethereal glow
• Add a cinematic haze to the scene without post-production effects
• Make the ambient light more forgiving, even at high ISO
• Tie the entire image together with a vintage-inspired mood

My setup

• Camera: Sony A7R5 mirrorless
• Lens: Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 (at 75mm focal length)
• Settings: ISO 3200, f/9.0, 1/200 sec
• Filter: PolarPro Shortstache Everyday Black Mist Filter
• Lighting: Natural light only, with some steam bounce and ambient shadows
• Styling: 1940s-inspired coat, gloves, vintage cloche hat, and dramatic makeup to evoke the golden age of train travel

Final thoughts

It can be tempting to avoid shooting at high ISOs due to noise, but in this case, it added to the story. The texture, the slight grain, the dreamy contrast created with the mist filter—it all pulled together to create the feeling I was after. This wasn’t about technical perfection, it was about mood.

Would I shoot like this every time? Probably not. But having tools like the PolarPro Black Mist filter and the confidence to crank the ISO when the situation calls for it—those are the things that keep me inspired.

If you’re curious, you can watch behind-the-scenes footage on my YouTube channel.

Would you shoot at ISO 3200 on purpose? Let me know in the comments!