A northbound Canadian National freight passes under Union Pacific's Adams line in Sussex, Wis., and prepares to roll under the photographer's position on the Bugline trail. Canon EOS 30D, July 5, 2011, 1/1600 sec, f/7.1, ISO 100, 18mm. Drew Halverson photo
On this fine summer afternoon, Trains Art Director Tom Danneman and I stopped trackside after work. Knowing we had a northbound Canadian National train approaching, we opted for a shot from the Bugline bike trail in Sussex, Wis. (former Milwaukee Road right-of-way). I decided to go low and wide with this shot, framing the approaching freight within the wooden bridge railing.
What I like:
The black and white treatment. The sun was bright and with the post-processing in Photoshop, I was able to pull out the detail in the bridge wood. The shadows stand out more, along with the texture, resulting from desaturation.
What I don't like:
The one power line pole, which protrudes behind the bridge, is distracting. Unlike the Union Pacific shot on the Adams line, featured in my first blog, this power line isn't growing on me.
What I learned:
In some situations, a photographer has only seconds to craft a shot. Don't be afraid to try something new because those photos often provide inspiration. In this case I had about 10 seconds to envision a shot, and then I had to fire the shutter. Now I have a perspective that I can't wait to try again, as well as fine-tune.
What do you think of this one?
Galleries:
Flickr: "Drew's Fantastic Train Photo Adventure, 2011" Facebook: Trains Magazine Facebook Page
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.