Inselbahn Borkum Vintage Railway Coach

This image was taken on the Inselbahn Borkum railway carts on the island of Borkum. To get to the island, you'll have to take the ferry from Emden Station in northern Germany (53.344549, 7.186828). Ride the ferry until you reach the Borkum Reede Terminal (53.563266, 6.757421) and then get onto the Borkum train, which is called Inselbahn. Ride the train until you reach last stop: Borkum City. You'll have to wait until everyone has left the train to capture the empty carts. You can also get off the train, check when the next train will arrive and then go to the beach while you wait. The train will be stationed at Borkum City for a while before it heads back to where the ferry is, so you'll have ample amount of time to photograph.

All months of the year are suitable to photograph the interior of the Inselbahn Borkum. For longer hours of daylight, visit during the summer months.

For similar conditions, visit during daytime to get the natural light coming in through the train windows.

To capture an entire section of the orange and teal coach, I recommend using a wide-angle lens (18mm).

If you decide to incorporate a model into your shot, try to photograph elderly people wearing vintage clothes (wool, grey, light brown) to match the scenery and give the impression of traveling in the early 20th century.

The coaches are not built symmetrically so don‘t get distracted by the positions of the doors. You have to stand on the far end of the coach or even on the outside platform to get a straighter viewpoint of the coaches.

The train is beautiful from the outside; however, the station unfortunately is not. Try taking photos of passengers looking through the windows from the outside near the station, but I don't recommend going inside the station to take your photos.

While waiting for the train to take you back to the ferry, I recommend going to the gorgeous beach. You can also take photos of the beach tents and beach karts that are unique to Borkum and cannot be found on other German beaches. Their bright colors really pop against the white sand!

If you get lucky, you might see some seals on the beach — be careful though, they look cute but can be unpredictable.

Rent a bicycle and cycle along the promenade of the beach. Get up early in the morning and either go for a cycle, walk, jog or even watch the other residents go for a morning workout near the water.

Enjoy waterfront dining at Milchbude Strand Flair. This restaurant is on the beach, so it's the perfect place to grab a snack after suntanning.

If you want to stay overnight, you can book a hotel (most preferably by the seaside) in advance. There are many options, including Strandhotel Hohenzollern, Hotel das Miramar, CVJM-Gästehaus Victoria Borkum and Inselhof Borkum.