The little secrets of “spotters”, these train and plane enthusiasts in search of the perfect photo

When we reach him by telephone, Benjamin Barbe scrutinizes the landings around Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG). On this eve of the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, he is particularly watching out for the planes of the American presidency. A few hours earlier, telephoto lens in hand, he was at Orly to witness the arrival of the Boeing 747-200 on which President Joe Biden was arriving. So many photos which will fuel the collection he has built up since 2017 and some of which he shares on his X account.

Commercial station agent at CDG and photographer in his free time, the 24-year-old young man is part of the community of “spotters”, or “observers” in plain French. In all weathers, in all seasons, alone or in groups, these transport enthusiasts observe planes and trains for the simple pleasure of seeing them pass or photographing them. A bit like fishing, the catch is random. “It is an activity that requires patience and passion. I never know what awaits me before my photo sessions. Depending on the traffic, the weather, the light, I may be disappointed or I may have good surprises“, he summarizes.

“ We must admit, it is difficult to understand the motivations of a spotter, unless you are one yourself. »

Thibault, spotter, creator of the Simply Railway YouTube channel

Along the railway tracks too, patience and passion are essential. “In general, I stand in one place and photograph everything that passes for hours, with a preference for TGV trains. I first locate the spot points on Google Maps and Street View», Confides Emmanuel Bremont, an Alsatian student, who shares his photos on his Instagram account @tgvpix. “I may pace around a station just to watch departures and arrivals or pull out my phone as soon as a train arrives at a level crossing.», Continues Thibault Constant, creator of the Simply Railway YouTube channel. “We must admit, it is difficult to understand the motivations of a spotter, unless you are one yourself.»

Rarities and novelties

Let them be avgeeks (contraction of “aviation geek”, understand “aviation enthusiast”) or railway enthusiasts, these observers seek to ferret out trains and planes that are out of the ordinary, even if this search for rarity is not systematic. For this, they favor very specific moments. For some: a special livery, the inauguration of a line or a company, the delivery of a new aircraft or visits from personalities or heads of state. For others: the passage of test trains (like the future TGV M), steam tourist trains or even the Venice Simplon Orient-Express.

These enthusiasts do not hesitate to travel solely for the purpose of enriching their photo collection. When Benjamin Barbe goes to London or Frankfurt, it is less to visit the city than the area around the airports. “The one in Frankfurt is interesting because there are A340s and Boeing 747s, which Lufthansa is the only one to still operate in Europe.“, he emphasizes. The same goes for Thibault Constant who takes advantage of his hikes or stops along a line to take off his drone not far from the railway tracks.

Hunting for information

In air transport as in rail, spotters share the same tips and tricks for knowing exceptional passages. Real-time tracking sites like Flightradar24 are essential resources for any aviation enthusiast. But most information is exchanged via forums or WhatsApp or Discord loops. “The best informed are the staff at stations, airports or railway and airline companies who can find out everything thanks to internal tools.», underlines Thibault Lapers, student in Brussels. And they choose (or not) to share them with their circle of trust.

The observers take care not to divulge everything to their community, “sometimes even if it means playing it personal», Regrets Thibault Lapers. Because it happens that the passion for transport derails minds and leads to excesses, such as trespassing near runways or railway tracks. “Near Brussels-Zaventem, photographers usually venture into a cemetery offering a beautiful view of the slopes», continues the Brussels resident. “I can understand that operators do not welcome spotters with open arms in order to avoid crowd effects. It’s a shame that the behavior of a minority brings discredit to a majority that respects the rules.», deplores Thibault Constant.

For around ten years, aerial spotters must have an authorization issued by the Paris police headquarters in order to photograph around CDG, Orly and Le Bourget, “what many foreign photographers ignore», underlines Benjamin Barbe. And to add: “this document validates our activity with the authorities. Through our presence, we contribute to the security of the premises by being attentive to suspicious behavior.» In stations, photographers must be discreet, shots intended for broadcast normally being subject to authorization. For better recognition of this activity, Benjamin Barbe is campaigning for the creation of designated areas for spotters, as exists elsewhere in Europe.

A work for History

Whether they are amateurs or professionals, whether they operate near airports or railway lines, photographers are, despite themselves, witnesses to the evolution of transport. “I feel like I’m writing history on my own small scale by documenting the state of rail transport at a given moment.», says Emmanuel Bremont, who also collaborates with magazines specializing in railways. “I have photos of the old Thello between Paris and Venice [arrêté en 2020, NDLR]or the Trenhotel between Paris and Barcelona [arrêté en 2013, NDLR]. From now on, they are valuable as archives because these trains will probably no longer run. It’s touching to think that an ordinary train from today will arouse nostalgia in twenty years», continues Thibault Constant.

To carry out this archiving work, Benjamin Barbe maintains an Excel table in which he lists all the planes seen, mentioning its registration, the company, the date of shooting, etc. Since 2017, he has photographed 7,000 different aircraft. Even recent photos are now part of History, like those of the A380s in Air France colors, withdrawn from the fleet in 2020, which he evokes with nostalgia.

Immortalizing the planes that pass by means contributing to future archives, but it also means reading past history: “Joe Biden’s plane that I photographed this morning [le 5 juin 2024, NDLR] dates from 1987. Just looking at it, I can’t help but imagine all the presidents it has transported, all the flights it has made around the world in all that time.»

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