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Wolf · June 30, 2004

I was out taking a few shots last night and I grabbed this one. Any comments?
Not sure if I like it or not...

Bodwick · June 30, 2004

Tracks
How about using the corners of the frame to bring your tracks into line next time....
I might have framed it as attached.

Wolf wrote:

I was out taking a few shots last night and I grabbed this one. Any comments?
Not sure if I like it or not...

wxwax · June 30, 2004

That's an interesting question, Wolf. I'm always interested in composition, and like to figure out why things work or don't work.

IMHO the shot does not work. But if I believe that, I figure I should be able to say why. So here goes. I think there's about a third, maybe more, of the shot that's kinda wasted, doesn't feel like it belongs, is extraneous. It's the part to the right of tracks. The way the tracks run through the shot, leads the eye from the left corner, and eventually sort of to the upper middle. The left side is therefore embraced, but the right side is rejected. I think.

Also, I'm not really sure that the shot begins in the left corner. The two rails are so split at the beginning, the feel like they start in two different neighborhoods. And where they ultimately end is kind of inconclusive as well.

I guess I feel that the rails, instead of pulling the eye through the shot and holding everything together, instead split the frame into separate elements. So instead of feeling strong and unified, the shot feels fragmented.

Think anyone else agrees?

As I said, I think you're asking an interesting question. I'm really curious to hear what others have to say.

mercphoto · June 30, 2004

Rr

Wolf wrote:

I was out taking a few shots last night and I grabbed this one. Any comments?
Not sure if I like it or not...

I'm not sure either. The strong element is the right-hand rail, which runs nearly straight vertical, and nearly dead-center. This splits the image in two. The left rail runs a little diagonal and is somewhat interesting. So the left half of the picture has something interesting, but the right half does not.

But I do like the asymetry in the two rails. In other words they are not both angled towards infinity -- one is vertical to infinity, the other is angled to infinity. That part I do like.

BoomerangNetwork.com · July 1, 2004

Bodwick wrote:

How about using the corners of the frame to bring your tracks into line next time....
I might have framed it as attached.

I agree. The image has more leading lines if the track connects to the corner.

DewrGleision · July 1, 2004

Actually, I like the original composition, if I might be so bold as to say so...
I like how the different lines of the same subject have different beginnings throughout the "latitude" (right term? Maybe vertical axis?), and I like how its a bit off-centered, revealing not oo much of any one thing... Of course, just my screwy tastes/perceptions, but I like it anywho.

cmr164 · July 1, 2004

Wolf wrote:

I was out taking a few shots last night and I grabbed this one. Any comments?
Not sure if I like it or not...

Train tracks are hard. My take on your shot is that if you go with Bodwick's suggested crop that you leave a little more sky at the top. Alternately start with your original, leave the top/left/bottom alone and only crop from the right side enough to put the right hand track 1/3 from the right edge.

My stab at doing tracks and perhaps good examples of other issues are:

I like this idea but I do not think I did a good job of it.

Or:

From well from to the side this uses the flow of the buildings to balance the tracks
http://www.iisc.com/dgrin/florida04feb42_s.jpg

This has a lead from the left to slightly to the right of center.
http://www.iisc.com/dgrin/florida04feb46_s.jpg

This last is an example of the track leading from the left corner with the finish point at the 1/3 point.
http://www.iisc.com/dgrin/florida04feb47_s.jpg

Wolf · July 1, 2004

Thanks for all of your comments. It is really good to get others ideas on perspective. I am going to work on this one some more. I really appreciate all of you taking the time to comment! Thanks so much!!

pathfinder · July 1, 2004

cmr164 wrote:

Train tracks are hard.

I agree - tracks are not inherently that interesting - sometimes a human figure can help? Maybe??

or like this if your party is adventuresome.....

wxwax · July 1, 2004

That shadow has a lot of potential.

Wolf · July 1, 2004

oh, the possibilities...

pathfinder · July 1, 2004

Wolf wrote:

oh, the possibilities...

The railroad trestle does have interesting possibilities for shadows and I hope to get there some time this year in the late afternoon and perhaps after a snowfall as well. This will have to suffice for now....

mercphoto · July 1, 2004

RR Images
Some cool other RR photos from people. Maybe the thing about RR track photos isn't the track itself, but what is around the tracks. Trestles and bridges, crossing guards, the landscape, maybe a boxcar or engine, etc. Anyone else getting that impression?

-- Bill

Wolf · July 1, 2004

For me, its the tracks.. lonely, desolate, vanishing in the distance...

pathfinder · July 1, 2004

wxwax wrote:

That shadow has a lot of potential.

The fellow lying on the track has about 180 feet of vertical potential energy if he is not careful also.....

Shadows are better in B&W sometimes..

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