Trains.com

A beautiful winter day shot (sun not required)

4858 views
25 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Mile 7.5 Laggan Sub., Great White North
  • 4,201 posts
A beautiful winter day shot (sun not required)
Posted by trainboyH16-44 on Thursday, March 19, 2009 7:12 PM

Click for larger & info

 

Go here for my rail shots! http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=9296

Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Ely, Nv.
  • 6,312 posts
Posted by chad thomas on Thursday, March 19, 2009 7:25 PM

 Nice shot Thumbs UpThumbs Up

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 24,857 posts
Posted by tree68 on Thursday, March 19, 2009 10:33 PM

Very nice!

I have to disagree about the sun, though - although the picture is fantastic as it is (and worth of any wall), with bright sun and a few puffy clouds in an azure sky, it would have been positively stunning.

 

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

  • Member since
    January 2003
  • 277 posts
Posted by fievel on Friday, March 20, 2009 6:58 AM

Wonderful !! Thanks for sharing.Smile

Cascade Green Forever ! GET RICH QUICK !! Count your Blessings.

  • Member since
    August 2002
  • From: Turner Junction
  • 3,076 posts
Posted by CopCarSS on Friday, March 20, 2009 9:04 AM

Nice shot...but...

The saturation just seems way over the top to me. Then again, I was always the guy that avoided Velvia back in my film days, too. So, I guess it's just a personal preference kind of thing.

-Chris
West Chicago, IL
Christopher May Fine Art Photography

"In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration." ~Ansel Adams

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Norfolk Southern Lafayette District
  • 1,642 posts
Posted by bubbajustin on Friday, March 20, 2009 4:19 PM

A beautiful and green train. I like the ES44AC in there! Awesome shot!

The road to to success is always under construction. _____________________________________________________________________________ When the going gets tough, the tough use duct tape.

  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Reedsburg WI (near Wisconsin Dells)
  • 3,370 posts
Posted by Noah Hofrichter on Friday, March 20, 2009 5:18 PM

Ah yes. One can't get through winter without seeing at least one (and usually several) over-saturated Matthew Hicks shot! Winter must be coming to a close...

Still a neat shot though Matt, I like it.

  • Member since
    August 2004
  • From: St. Paul, Minnesota
  • 2,116 posts
Posted by Boyd on Saturday, March 21, 2009 2:26 AM

 On a 1-10 scale I would rate it a 9.9 as in really  darn good photo. I count 51 cars that I can see. 2 towards the back blocked by trees. More past that I can't see.

Modeling the "Fargo Area Rapid Transit" in O scale 3 rail.

  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Kenosha, WI
  • 6,567 posts
Posted by zardoz on Saturday, March 21, 2009 7:59 AM

Noah Hofrichter

Ah yes. One can't get through winter without seeing at least one (and usually several) over-saturated Matthew Hicks shot! Winter must be coming to a close...

Still a neat shot though Matt, I like it.

So what's wrong with some over-saturation?  The real world is usually so incredibly dull that it needs all the help it can get.

And Chris, I was a huge believer in Velvia; indeed, once I discovered it, it was all I ever shot.  I LOVE the saturation.  And now, thanks to digital, I can have all the saturation I can tolerate.

Great shot, Matt!!!

  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Reedsburg WI (near Wisconsin Dells)
  • 3,370 posts
Posted by Noah Hofrichter on Saturday, March 21, 2009 9:12 AM

I don't mind a little bit of saturation to brighten things up, but to me a railroad photo should be a documentation of reality. When the saturation gets to the point where the scene (or in this case the CP red) looks unreal, then I consider that over saturated. I live near the CP line through Wisconsin, and I don't think I've seen a CP locomotive quite that bright of red before, especially on a cloudy day...

It doesn't make me dislike the picture, it's just a different taste and style of processing. Like I said before, I still like Matt's shot quite a bit. I wish I lived in scenery like that...

Noah

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Allentown, PA
  • 9,810 posts
Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Saturday, March 21, 2009 10:54 AM

Looks like one of "Leanin' Tree"'s Howard Fogg train Christmas card paintings to me, what with that vivid red and all the white and green in the background.  (Maybe you could sell the image to them ?  Wink )

But how is this different from a painting where the artist chose to use really bright pigments ?  Should railroad photography be limited to "reality", or can the photographer have the liberty to use the image as a base, and then to create the effect he/ she wants ?  We couldn't do that until recently - now, with digital cameras and Photoshop post-processing, we can.  Cameras are now just another art medium.  That's great, as long as we are all informed that's what's been done so that no one is misled or put unwittingly into a unfair competitive or judging situation, etc.

I recognize what it is, and I like it just fine for that, even if it is a little bit "unreal".  Thanks for sharing !

- Paul North.

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
  • Member since
    August 2002
  • From: Turner Junction
  • 3,076 posts
Posted by CopCarSS on Sunday, March 22, 2009 9:13 AM

I certainly don't think it's out of the realm of creativity to play with a photo in post-processing. If we all shot the same way, photography would be kind of dull. All I'm saying is that the super saturation like this is definately not to my taste. But, if it pleases the photog, it's cool by me. It seems to have some followers here, too. Like I said...just not my thing is all.

-Chris
West Chicago, IL
Christopher May Fine Art Photography

"In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration." ~Ansel Adams

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Mile 7.5 Laggan Sub., Great White North
  • 4,201 posts
Posted by trainboyH16-44 on Sunday, March 22, 2009 9:35 AM

Mmm, a standard discussion about one of my photos.

"I hate it! It's NOTHING like real life!"

"I like it, it's PRETTY!"

"I don't really give a crap either way."

In no particular order...

Thanks for the comments, guys!
 

Go here for my rail shots! http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=9296

Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Lakewood NY
  • 679 posts
Posted by tpatrick on Sunday, March 22, 2009 10:26 AM

Do I see a touch of Topaz? No matter, it's a great shot and maybe everything is just brighter in the Canadian Rockies. Keep these shots coming!

  • Member since
    November 2007
  • 2,989 posts
Posted by Railway Man on Sunday, March 22, 2009 2:34 PM

I like it.  I like the saturation.  So what if it's turned up -- who among us can say that the photographer did not see it that way?  Photography is not realism, any more than oil paint on canvas is realism.  There are so many artifacts inherent in the process -- including the decision of the photographer to point his camera in one direction and not another -- that "realism" is simply not there.  It's "pretty real" but if we want actual realism, than we'd better go stand there for ourselves.

Ever here of the Lewis Carroll essay that touched on map-making?  The point is, if it isn't inaccurate, it isn't any use.  A perfect representation would be "standing there," and since I can't stand there, I want a photo, and I want a photo that captures the impact (emotion, wonder, awe, pleasure) of being there, and for me, turning up the saturation to gain what the eye would see if the eye looked only at the locomotive and not at the whole scene, is perfectly fine.

Here's an excerpt http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/geog/gessler/topics/lewis-carroll.htm

RWM

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 4,115 posts
Posted by tatans on Sunday, March 22, 2009 2:39 PM

Good to see choo-choos and mountains, just one question, there is a spot 5.5km west of Banff at the turnoff from the Trans-Canada Highway to highway 1a, there is a spot towards the river that is identical  to Morant's curve, in fact I'm sure more photos have been taken here of trains than at Morant's curve.  In fact Nick took a great deal of photos from this vantage spot, so many, a lot of people get confused as to which really is Morant's curve. Some "Morant Curve" photos show the river curving to the right, others to the left and different mountains in the background(obviously from the opposite direction)

So the next time you see a photo of a train on a curve in the Rockies, keep this in mind.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Crozet, VA
  • 1,049 posts
Posted by bobwilcox on Sunday, March 22, 2009 4:52 PM

A little realism from Claude Monet once he got past platform security in Paris. 

Claude Monet - Gare Saint-Lazare

Bob
  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Mile 7.5 Laggan Sub., Great White North
  • 4,201 posts
Posted by trainboyH16-44 on Sunday, March 22, 2009 5:08 PM

tatans

Good to see choo-choos and mountains, just one question, there is a spot 5.5km west of Banff at the turnoff from the Trans-Canada Highway to highway 1a, there is a spot towards the river that is identical  to Morant's curve, in fact I'm sure more photos have been taken here of trains than at Morant's curve.  In fact Nick took a great deal of photos from this vantage spot, so many, a lot of people get confused as to which really is Morant's curve. Some "Morant Curve" photos show the river curving to the right, others to the left and different mountains in the background(obviously from the opposite direction)

So the next time you see a photo of a train on a curve in the Rockies, keep this in mind.

 

...I don't know what the hell you're talking about, and I probably know the mainline between Ozada and Field better than anyone on this forum...
 

Go here for my rail shots! http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=9296

Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 4,115 posts
Posted by tatans on Sunday, March 22, 2009 5:58 PM

OOOOooooh a little anger management needed here, Now calmly sit down and read my note again, this time try to absorb the words, do you see where I indicate a comparison of the 2 areas, try google maps, try Bruno Englers photos along with Nicholas Morant's publications of photos in this region, go to the Banff Historical Society for more information, does your collection of Morant's photos include a shot of the aforementiond area by the highway 1a turnoff?  Are you employed by the C.P.R. to explore the right of way along this scenic area, where does all this"better than anyone on this forum" knowledge come from?

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: Hewitt,TX.
  • 1,088 posts
Posted by videomaker on Sunday, March 22, 2009 7:49 PM

trainboyH16-44

Click for larger & info

  

Well, I like the saturation,it cuts that otherwise dull gray sky !

Thanks for sharing...

Danny
  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: Hewitt,TX.
  • 1,088 posts
Posted by videomaker on Sunday, March 22, 2009 7:52 PM

bobwilcox

A little realism from Claude Monet once he got past platform security in Paris. 

Claude Monet - Gare Saint-Lazare

 HA ! Good one Bob !

Danny
  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Mile 7.5 Laggan Sub., Great White North
  • 4,201 posts
Posted by trainboyH16-44 on Sunday, March 22, 2009 8:27 PM

tatans

OOOOooooh a little anger management needed here, Now calmly sit down and read my note again, this time try to absorb the words, do you see where I indicate a comparison of the 2 areas, try google maps, try Bruno Englers photos along with Nicholas Morant's publications of photos in this region, go to the Banff Historical Society for more information, does your collection of Morant's photos include a shot of the aforementiond area by the highway 1a turnoff?  Are you employed by the C.P.R. to explore the right of way along this scenic area, where does all this"better than anyone on this forum" knowledge come from?

 

I'm a teenager, just because I'm swearing doesn't mean I'm not calm...

Anyways, I can't think OTOH more than 3 or 4 photos I've seen from the 1A turnoff total. In fact, I frequently pass by there and it doesn't even have a passing resemblance to Morant's...pics to prove it.

Mine, from a couple weeks ago: http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b274/trainboysd40/9839Mile871-1.jpg

Not mine, but shows the scene better:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=215667

The only other spot that you might be thinking of near there is at MP 88, but I don't think I've ever seen a photo from there.
 

 

Go here for my rail shots! http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=9296

Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Mile 7.5 Laggan Sub., Great White North
  • 4,201 posts
Posted by trainboyH16-44 on Sunday, March 22, 2009 9:32 PM

...wait...are you talking about mile 100? It's about 15 miles away from the 1A junction, I guess you're thinking of the 93 junction?

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=193528

Go here for my rail shots! http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=9296

Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 4,115 posts
Posted by tatans on Monday, March 23, 2009 8:49 AM

Nice photos, wrong area. O.K. let's start again. On the C.P.R. rail line westward, go 3 MILES west to the intersection of the TCH and highway 1a, (do not go any further) the tracks go under the highway at this point, about 1000 feet northwest of this point is sloped bank above the tracks looking NW along the tracks and the Bow river, the tracks curve as does the river , I can't tell you how many railfans use this spot for photos, the Bow river, the tracks, the trains and the mountain background are perfect, again, this location is at the south end of highway 1a not anywhere up the roads to Lake Louise nor anywhere near highway 93 turnoff, you can walk easily from Banff to this spot.......end

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Allentown, PA
  • 9,810 posts
Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Monday, March 23, 2009 9:28 AM

I'll take any of those locations - and those photos !

Thumbs Up to bobwilcox's post, too !

- PDN.

 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Mile 7.5 Laggan Sub., Great White North
  • 4,201 posts
Posted by trainboyH16-44 on Monday, March 23, 2009 11:30 AM

tatans

Nice photos, wrong area. O.K. let's start again. On the C.P.R. rail line westward, go 3 MILES west to the intersection of the TCH and highway 1a, (do not go any further) the tracks go under the highway at this point, about 1000 feet northwest of this point is sloped bank above the tracks looking NW along the tracks and the Bow river, the tracks curve as does the river , I can't tell you how many railfans use this spot for photos, the Bow river, the tracks, the trains and the mountain background are perfect, again, this location is at the south end of highway 1a not anywhere up the roads to Lake Louise nor anywhere near highway 93 turnoff, you can walk easily from Banff to this spot.......end

 

Okay, so, the spot that I just posted two pictures of....the line goes into the trees as you can see and it doesn't come out again for 2 kilometres, is it possible that your scale's a little bit off and you're thinking of Mile 88 or perhaps Sawback?

Go here for my rail shots! http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=9296

Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy