Three B&W - Old Railway Line - 130kb

[Meerkat17]

Your comments and Critique please

I have my own ideas about these shots and how some could be made better but some other peoples views/input would be helpful before I go back to re-shoot.

The reason for B&W is simply because they looked better (IMO) although the colour ones are OK

Thanks in advance
David

http://www.btinternet.com/~David.Lewins/g5/images/bowburn0012C_bw.jpg
Shutter speed: 1/40 sec
Aperture: 8
Exposure mode: Manual
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: Single frame shooting
ISO: 50
Lens: 7.2 to 28.8mm
Focal length: 12.7mm

http://www.btinternet.com/~David.Lewins/g5/images/bowburn0015C_bw.jpg
Shutter speed: 1/640 sec
Aperture: 5
Exposure mode: Manual
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: Single frame shooting
ISO: 50
Lens: 7.2 to 28.8mm
Focal length: 7.2mm

http://www.btinternet.com/~David.Lewins/g5/images/bowburn0018C_bw.jpg
Shutter speed: 1/1000 sec
Aperture: 5
Exposure mode: Manual
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: Single frame shooting
ISO: 50
Lens: 7.2 to 28.8mm
Focal length: 15.8mm

[rick barclay]

I like 'em. We have a lot of old rarely if never used rr tracks around here,
too. Good idea for a session, Meerkat.

[msol]

Hi David,

In short, I like #1, #2 doesn't do much to me, and I love #3.

I think #2 is too much divided into two non-related parts: a left with tracks and a right with bushes.
Somehow that doesn't strike me in #1, perhaps since the bushes return on the right edge?

#3 I love for the contrast between the bridge and the scary sky. Also I think the detail in the bridge is great!

Greetz,
Marc

[45R]

I really dig # 1
#2 doesnt do much for me.
#3 is slick but it doesn't give me the feeling of distance that #1 does

Great job shooting!

[JZaun]

#3 is my pick. It has a subject.. 1&2 are just track.. I love #3 What does it look like in color,, is the sky dark clouds or dark blue sky :?

Nice anyway!!

JZ

[DAMphyne]

I enjoy #3, The whole picture pulls you right through the Arch.
The dark sky doesn't let you slip away, You're going through.

Great shot, Wish you had used F11.
Dave

[SoCal69]

They're all good, but I particularly enjoyed the first more than the other two.

[PhotosGuy]

Interesting clouds in all of them, though they seem harsh in #3. Was that IR?
I like the low perspective in #1 & the feeling of depth.
#2 I like less that #1, & question the inclusion of that particular pole at the right.
#3 is my favorite of the three.
(All would benefit from the addition of some blades of grass! :wink: )

[Meerkat17]

Thanks for all the comments,

Here are the colour versions of the same three:

http://www.btinternet.com/~David.Lewins/g5/images/bowburn0012C.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~David.Lewins/g5/images/bowburn0015C.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~David.Lewins/g5/images/bowburn0018C.jpg

#1 will possibly have more local interest and is the reason I took the shot as the area is about to have big changes made - although I think I should have zoomed in a little further to bring the tall chimney of the stoneworks more into the picture.

#2 I was trying to fill the frame with the height of the pole and the angle of the track and failed! :( (You try having two dogs with you who keep walking into the shot!) I feel it might have worked if I'd been a little more to the right of the pole?

#3 Not IR but made to have the feel of IR in PS using the Channel Mixer - I still don't know if I like the harshness of the clouds or if I should use a bit of blur to soften it slightly? Also, on this one I feel I should have been further to the right as there seems to be a lot of empty space to the left of the track?

Anyhow, thanks again and any further comments would be welcomed too.

Regards
David

[PhotosGuy]

I like all the color versions better than the B&W. The rust colored rails make a statement that the days of the RR are waning.
Re: “I think I should have zoomed in a little further to bring the tall chimney of the stoneworks more into the picture.” ‘Local interest’ is one kind of shot & I don’t relate to it. Including the chimney would just be a distraction for me.
Re: “I feel it might have worked if I'd been a little more to the right of the pole?”: I feel it might have worked if you'd been about a dozen steps forward so the pole was excluded! How about a lower angle adding emphasis to the grass growing between the rails? (No, not kidding this time! … statement that the days of the RR are waning.)
Re: “(You try having two dogs with you who keep walking into the shot!)”. In this shot, I think they might have added interest!
Re: “Also, on this one I feel I should have been further to the right as there seems to be a lot of empty space to the left of the track?”. I like the angle. Fill the space in the left with two dogs running away from you? Maybe a person walking away from you to the left of the arch. (Carrying a bindle on a stick over his shoulder?). Or crop just to the left of the bridge?
Grass! Grass! I want to see more grass!
:wink:

[Meerkat17]

Frank,
Thanks for all the helpful comments - I also like the the colour ones but I was in a Black & White mood yesterday!!! :lol:

I hope to get back to that track at the weekend as I want to walk further along it than I had time to do the last time. I'll take a copy of your suggestions with me.

You wanted more grass? OK here's the one that I took just with you in mind: :wink: :lol: :lol:

http://www.btinternet.com/~David.Lewins/g5/images/bowburn0014C.jpg

Regards
David

[PhotosGuy]

Great shot! Thanks, David! :lol:

[ryuwulf]

i really like the first pic. The low angle to the ground , gives way to leading lines (the tracks). it just makes to eyes naturally follow up the page.

[Radtech1]

David, David, David.

As always, take my breath away. Especially the third shot.

I very much like the extreme mono processing - is that an infrared plug-in? If so, whose? The application of the processing is spot on.

The track, the gravel, and the bushes all seem to share about the same density-very little dynamic range. In lesser hands, a boring shot. With infrared processing of the sky and a bridge, which puts them in stark blacks and whites, this becomes very dynamic and very interesting look at.

Blow it up, frame it, hang it and gloat.

Rad

[Meerkat17]

David, David, David.

As always, take my breath away. Especially the third shot.

I very much like the extreme mono processing - is that an infrared plug-in? If so, whose? The application of the processing is spot on.

The track, the gravel, and the bushes all seem to share about the same density-very little dynamic range. In lesser hands, a boring shot. With infrared processing of the sky and a bridge, which puts them in stark blacks and whites, this becomes very dynamic and very interesting look at.

Blow it up, frame it, hang it and gloat.

Rad

Rad,
Thanks for the kind complements I'm pleased you like the shots.

Its not a infrared plug-in that I've used but you should be able to make a simple photoshop action from the following instructions.

Channel Mixer +200% Green, 100% red, -200% Blue, monochrome checked - play around with the Green and Blue settings making sure you don't burn anything out.

Then converted to lab color mode,

Select the lightness channel and do unsharp mask (140%, .4, 0),

Select Greyscale mode and discarded other channels,

duplicated the layer and select Multiply as the blend for the top layer, reduced the opacity of top layer down to 40% or so, Then do a contrast increase making sure not to burn out the whites.

Again, thanks to everyone for the input.

Regards
David

[Andy_T]

David,

I like the first one best, it has an incredible sense of distance.
For me, it works better in BW than in colour, as the colour distracts from the composition. I think it's an awesome shot.

In the third one, the area above the bridge is a little too dark for my taste in the BW version.

Best regards,
Andy

[LightHunter]

David,

Although all pictures you püosted here are of great quality, I prefer the 4th one. It really depicts the status => rails not used anymore.
For the distance effect the first one works the best but 1, 2 and 3 are the least innovative to me.

By the way, me too I prefer the color ones because of the color of the reails.