Trackside with Erik and Mike voting photos

[taylorjj123]

QUOTE: Originally posted by w stolper

Why not randomly show similar pictures and then different pictures, just vary the sequence from time to time? That way perhaps all would be happy. Just a thought. w stolper (Doodlebug)

I agree with w stolper. Do both.

[Anonymous]

I voted for any photo that you get if you think its a good shot use it, maybe for a change once or twice a year get out and take the same shot. During the summer when the days are longer, two shots in the same place, at the same time.

Sorry about last week. [V]

[wcnut]

I went with different shots. It will keep that competitive vibe going. However, I know nothing of your personal lives, but it might be interesting to see the product of a weekend get together outside of the Dupy area... but then maybe working together is enough? [8D]

Keep up the great shots and forum!

Greg

[elangeland]

"Same train" shots some of the time, but not all of the time. However, I think that each volume should have saome theme. For example "Night action shots", "Snow shots", "Sunrise shots", etc. When shots are too different, it is very hard to determine which is better. Volumes 19 and 22 are good examples of this - the photos are too different to judge which one is photographically better, and I wind up voting by other criteria such as which subject I like better.

Other ideas you could consider are to pick one location and both go at different times, or to catch the same train at two different locations.

[Anonymous]

Since you've been at this a while now. I would suggest that you might choose several "Themes", and over 2 to 3 months of shooting, choose matchs from the themes to compare. I look at your pictures as much to learn how to see, and take more interesting pictures for myself, as to enjoy what you have shot. Unless we can stake a location out over a period of time, we all need to develop the skill of seeing in our mind the point and angle, as well as the technical details, for that instant that the moving train makes an interesting picture. The next train may be hours away. Also there are lots of places beyond the Lunch Hour distance. I say, take the opportunities you each get to range farther from home. We will all benefit.

[agdocsouter]

Use the same train. Now if the boss would give you a semi paid 2 hour lunch.....
/s/ Doc

[dknelson]

When I get the email about trains.com it shows the Erik & Mike contest but when I go to Trains.com on my own, I can't find it anymore. What gives? It used to be on the main page

(and in the background I hear the Twilight Zone music .... doo dee doo doo doo dee doo doo ...)
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

Different photos would be the way to go; however the question which arises is: Why must there be a competition?
Some readers vote based on the content and composition of the photo. Others base their vote on the technical merits of the photo.
If you look at last week's photos of the same train one can see that one photo was obviously taken with a telephoto lens or long lens setting on a zoom lens while the other was shot using a shorter focal length. But, if you close cropped the one taken with the shorter focal length, both photos would have appeared exactly alike.
Erik and Mike (or is it Mike and Erik) are both fairly accomplished photographers using relatively good equipment. Let them post their best work for the week with their own comments related to the pictures. The following week, instead of a numeric tally of what the readers liked why not just have a recap of the readers comments from the forum. A quantitative review just isn't necessary as proved by some of the recent close votes that were really too close to call

[ahuffman]

I like variety so I voted for different photos and that would be my preference for most instances. You might narrow it down my picking a particular subject - sy signals, or engine servicing, or bridges, or whatever just to see how two photographers approach similar subject.

The one advantage to the almost the same photos is the chance to see what an improvement can result from only a small change in viewpoint, focal length, exposure, or other variable in dealing with essentially the same subject matter. I think the 75-25% split in the voting on the last round illustrates this point.

[fuzzybroken]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainloco647


Why not use this scheme:

Different trains to be the norm...
Once in a while, photos of the same train, e.g., whenever you chase trains together!
Have fun!

Carl

[#ditto]
And when you do "anonymous" voting, use a guest photographer's photo! Mix things up, make it interesting...

-Mark Hintz
http://www.geocities.com/fuzzybroken

[mrunyan]

Different shots come from different opportunities. That's what railfanning is all about, comparing what I saw to what you saw. Voting on similar shots just makes us photo editors, yawn. I want to see all the cool places you've been and share the sights. Keep up the good work. My thanks to all you up there behind the Cheddar Curtain.

[Anonymous]

I don't care if they use shots of the same train or not. There was a good point about location made at the start of the thread. The concern I expressed in an earlier poll was that the shots could be taken over a widely differing time span. I vote for shots taken during the same week, any locations.

When we've had different trains photographed, in general the pictures have been more interesting and definitely more diverse.

[Home erfline rr]

Try to use the best photos of each week. This would be regardless of where and with whom the shots were taken.

As for the coloum name, how about, "Trackside with our digital SLR's?" This would open the competion up to more "guests" as you have allowed during the past year.

erfline rr

[ReimanTrainfan]

How about using different photos, but keep it anonymous?

[kolechovski]

I say do whatever you like, as long as things stay fun. One thing that almost always comes in the photos are flash vs long-term appeal, like in Wickedly Perfect, the same type of contest. I've seen the votes go in both directions. Also, I feel anonymous voting is useless, as by now, we pretty much know what types of pics each photographer takes, and I easily guessed it the last time they tried that anonymous stuff, so it probably has no use now. Anyway, each has a great chance of winning, as we see the wins go back and forth, so just leave it how it is, and things will be good.