Couple train images

[lxmcc]

I was walking along a road that ran along a train yard and took a couple pics. After some post production I was pretty happy with them and thought I would share. (taken with 70-200f/4)

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/5885/trainyard0vl.jpg

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/2512/trainyard23mw.jpg

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/6458/trainyard41jl.jpg

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/292/trainyard50kt.jpg

Below is a 100% crop from the last image. I just thought the heatwave looked really cool
http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/395/trainyard51008sf.jpg
C/C welcomed.

[lxmcc]

No comments, criticisms, anything?

[Carzee]

First impressions are that the subject is steel and steel shapes. Colors aren't really intersting here, so its a candidate -and subject- that may do well in black n white with more contrast. The photos are pretty busy. Generally simpler is better. Its interesting ground. A bridge is cool from a distance to show the whole scope and sweep of the arches or whatever. Its also cool in detail shots of individual joins and bolts that are odd and sort of dramatic imagery out of context of the whole. Shots showing area detail over 2 or 3 yards of steel can be boring as, unless you get into distortions from fisheyes and WAngles pointing up and down etc (but not straight at).

Some train details can be great because of the brass and steam etc, I've done a few. And the whole train making a bend, but a side shot showing the leading 20 ft of a train, even if its painted in lovely gloss color, ...just don''t work usually.

[lxmcc]

Thank you for the reply :)
I think you have some very good points and I will definitely take these things into account when I'm shooting in the future.

[belmondo]

Allow me to tag onto what Carzee said.

Don't be disheartened. Railroad photography is much more difficult than a person might imagine. There are often lighting problems (which you've experienced.), and typical freight equipment is not particularly photogenic. Getting a good vantage point can be tough (because of fences and natural barriers), and much of what surrounds trains translates to clutter in an image.

#2 is probably the most interesting, but it's really hard to tell what all those things are.

Keep trying. A typical day for me will be 3-4 keepers out of maybe 100 shots.

[Tom W]

I love shooting trains, but like Belmondo, I have a lot of shots that don't quite make it as compared to a few that are keepers (though I did bat 1 for 2 today). You've got some interesting colors in the first 3 shots and I like that. Yet, the trains fail to become the primary point of interest. You might want to widen out a bit and include more, even at the risk of including clutter. If your main point of interest or subject stands out, a lot of the background noise will make itself less noticeable.

[lxmcc]

Unfortunately I only have one large train yard in the general area and I'm pretty sure it's off limits. Thanks again for the suggestions on what to work on.

[RyanD]

The shots you have, as others have pointed out, are kind of bland. But not to worry. You might consider returning to that spot during sunrise/sunset. The harsh sunlight of the afternoon doesn't typically produce very nice looking shots. The shadows and softer light during these times will provide more vibrant colours and an overall better shot. Give it a try.

Ryan

[Carzee]

Hey, I'm just rambling here. Steel and industrial can be tough to make arty and cool pics from. Buildings and architecture can be much easier like the bridges I mentioned. Its landscape.

Like I said its all interesting ground, and you picked a hard area to get right.

Here's a thing to move you along. (In the right direction I hope);
Now if the trains session you tried led you to notice a great tag set or drug dramas or anti-war or racist slogan or... whatever, its more interesting. Highway and freeway signs are another favorite because of the actual contents of the sign. But as for roadsigns, the faded little boondocks one with a few bullet holes is always more interesting to me.

And another thing I mull over whilst mentioning tags and stuff that can make a photo cool. I saw a pic posted looking for points a while back. It was a very colorful minibus airbrush graffiti paint job. So its a cool pic. But -really- its like a print of a famous painting, or a statue.

Here's what I mean. I did this pic a coupla years back.
http://i.pbase.com/v3/58/572458/2/45807383.31160643.wetpaint1400x1050.jpg

I realised that its cool, but its someone else's art. Not all mine and not as satisfying to me when I take a pic thats cool all from my own efforts. Thats the point; inner satisfaction. Its what I am looking for behind the camera. Skills to that, to get the satisfaction. With the pic above I was just a bystander in effect and I made a "print" of it for reporting purposes more or less. The only thing remotely observant from my end was to notice that when wet the gloss was much better. So then if people really like it, because its someone's else' piece, you are just a bit of publicity for the original artist. So the satisfaction level is low, as it should be.

[ Psuedo-guru mode /off ]