We’re expanding our Trackside with Trains photo contest! The theme is still “More than meets the eye." Images can be taken any time in 2018. Please send your entries no later than 12 P.M. CDT Monday, Oct. 8, 2018, to trackside@trains.com. Only one submission should be sent per photographer and images should be sized 1024 pixels wide or tall, whichever is greater. Include a caption with the relevant equipment and exposure information and why you made the choices that you did in making the image.
Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine
Brian,
Why the restriction on WHEN the photos must be taken?
It's already difficult sometimes to meet the criteria of the contest, even with being able to search one's collection of photos from which to choose. However, with the restriction of a mere two-week shooting window, even if we have an idea regarding a potential qualifying image, it may be difficult for some folks to find the necessary time to get to a photo site. Factor in weather issues, job considerations, family considerations, et.al., and participating in the contest within the new framework might prove to be problematic.
I've seen the assigment format done elsewhere. Always thought it posed a bit more challenge than grabbing a photo from one's archives.
Now if I could only submit under my online persona instead.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
I like the idea of a limited window, although perhaps the window should be a little wider. Not all of us can get trackside that quickly - maybe a month ahead, instead.
It does, however, prevent folks from pulling out that "steam in the snow 3/4 wedge shot" that viewers vote for because they like steam in the snow, not because it fits the theme best.
Larry 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...
Contest could be "diesels in the desert" and a "steam in the snow" shot would win.
zugmann Contest could be "diesels in the desert" and a "steam in the snow" shot would win.
And have, as I recall. Not exactly that scenario, but close.
tree68And have, as I recall. Not exactly that scenario, but close.
Heh. Can't blame the photographers for submitting what the people wanted.
zugmann tree68 And have, as I recall. Not exactly that scenario, but close. Heh. Can't blame the photographers for submitting what the people wanted.
tree68 And have, as I recall. Not exactly that scenario, but close.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
I’ve got “More than meets the eye” related …
… Photos Already (but they don’t now technically …
… qualify date-wise for THIS contest)
The below photos are of a San Diego cemetery that just happens to have a very busy San Diego Trolley two-track rail line passing through the middle of it. Bushes keep light rail riders from seeing much of the cemetery. Of course, dirt and grass covers all the caskets filled with bones.
This is an applicable thread to what K.P. sees as the future of the forums: Drastically reduced posters and lower and lower and lower views towards intentional oblivion, and likewise with the Tracksides, to answer zardoz (first REPLIER in this thread) in a photo-visually and insinuating way! It might be of interest to Zardoz to know, ironically, Kalmbach book sales have been LOST because of the current downspin policies and treatment of posters, things beyond the eyes of most
TRAINS sister magazine, Astronomy, HAD forums too, which some of the below photos was part of a Mt. Palomar Observatory thread at the turn of the decade:
Those Astronomy forums went bye-bye a number of years ago for an unknown reason. In my humble opinion, this Trackside theme, “More than meets the eye” and the NEW photo qualifying dates taken rules for submitted photos for this Trackside, are a precursor to that same fate at these forums (oblivion, buried bones and trolleys passing those buried bones, i.e., an upcoming death of the TRAINS forums). From what I’m now seeing clearer and clearer at the TRAINS forums, if there are forum postings in 2019 (or at least by the end of that year), I will be very, very surprised. Will our forum vision be 20-20 in the year 2020?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
K.P., which came first - the Trolley or the cemetery?
- PDN.
You can always beat the tide and quit posting if you think the ship is sinking.
I mean, it's a forum. If it stops being fun - why bother posting? Such drama.
But don't think I want you to stop posting - I really have no preference one way or the other.
K. P. Harrierthis Trackside theme, “More than meets the eye” and the NEW photo qualifying dates taken rules for submitted photos for this Trackside, are a precursor to that same fate at these forums (oblivion, buried bones and trolleys passing those buried bones, i.e., an upcoming death of the TRAINS forums). From what I’m now seeing clearer and clearer at the TRAINS forums, if there are forum postings in 2019 (or at least by the end of that year), I will be very, very surprised. Will our forum vision be 20-20 in the year 2020?
I wonder. It sure feels like something is (has) changed at Kalmbach. Perhaps the staff was cut too thin, and they don't have time to spend on photo stuff. For instance, the "Photo of the day" feature has been frequently neglected. The current (9/6) photo "Slicing thru Sedalia" has been up since 8/28; the photo prior to that, "Diesel under wire" ran for 14 days, as did the one before, "Classic Canadian".
Time will tell.
Paul D. North Jr. (9-5):
San Diego’s Mount Hope cemetery came first, in 1869 (in the timeframe of the first transcontinental railroads meeting up in Promontory, Utah).
The rail line in question was a BRANCH off the San Diego & Arizona (SD&A), which SD&A was chartered in 1906, ground breaking in 1907, with completion of the MAINLINE in 1919. The branch construction timeline is unclear, but obviously it was way, way after the cemetery came about.
Getting back to the Trackside this round, I’m all eyes on how the forum will respond to the new competition approach. To me, it is treading uncharted waters.
zardoz (9-8):
Good point! Something has changed at Kalmback. May I suggest it was some economic reality had set in. How companies respond to such economic realities historically can make or break those companies.
Take care,
K.P.
zardoz It sure feels like something is (has) changed at Kalmbach.
If it comes down to running such activities or turning out a publication, I'm sure the publication takes precedence.
I'd also opine that the staffers aren't tripping over each other.
K. P. HarrierThose Astronomy forums went bye-bye a number of years ago for an unknown reason. In my humble opinion, this Trackside theme, “More than meets the eye” and the NEW photo qualifying dates taken rules for submitted photos for this Trackside, are a precursor to that same fate at these forums (oblivion, buried bones and trolleys passing those buried bones, i.e., an upcoming death of the TRAINS forums). From what I’m now seeing clearer and clearer at the TRAINS forums, if there are forum postings in 2019 (or at least by the end of that year), I will be very, very surprised. Will our forum vision be 20-20 in the year 2020?
Murphy Siding (9-7):
You make an interesting point. BUT …
I wonder how much of those forum demises were from suicide?
A colleague here in the office read a strange, unbelievable TRAINS newswire. He went to the site to see it for himself, and found the TRAINS newswire was false. He sent photos to TRAINS as proof. But, the TRAINS newswire never made a retraction, and let falsehood go supreme!
Do you think, Murphy Siding, that that person will ever trust TRAINS Magazine again? A magazine’s lowering subscriber list and forum demise may be being caused by their own stupidly and haughtiness! Simple as that! In that light, they are a contributing factor in NO society ever being eternal. One can’t deny history!
Hope you can sleep well tonight,
P.S. Please, nobody else reply so that I have to reply. I have to prepare for society’s implosion …
I'll sleep just fine. If trains.com is here, I'll post. If it disappears - I'll move on with life. It just isn't that important to me.
Foums are dinosaurs. If I want to see photos, I don't have to see Trackside with Trains, or pick up a Trains Illustrated Magazine. I can just go to one of 56 million facebook groups, or check out some Flickr feeds.
Not to put too fine a point on the post above, but fb, itself, is losing support and investors like there's no tomorrow.
Tempus edax rerum.
selectorNot to put too fine a point on the post above, but fb, itself, is losing support and investors like there's no tomorrow. Tempus edax rerum.
And if that goes, something else will take its place.
K. P. Harrier Murphy Siding (9-7): You make an interesting point. BUT … I wonder how much of those forum demises were from suicide? A colleague here in the office read a strange, unbelievable TRAINS newswire. He went to the site to see it for himself, and found the TRAINS newswire was false. He sent photos to TRAINS as proof. But, the TRAINS newswire never made a retraction, and let falsehood go supreme! Do you think, Murphy Siding, that that person will ever trust TRAINS Magazine again? A magazine’s lowering subscriber list and forum demise may be being caused by their own stupidly and haughtiness! Simple as that! In that light, they are a contributing factor in NO society ever being eternal. One can’t deny history! Hope you can sleep well tonight, K.P. P.S. Please, nobody else reply so that I have to reply. I have to prepare for society’s implosion …
I guess I am surprised as the number of photo contributors has picked up lately so did not see a change coming.. I have usually tried to stay on topic but accept that there are other factors. i happen to have a photo on topic but the time span is short, not sure of way around that. I like the concept of challenging photographers to go out and shoot something new. Hey, at least the topic was not trains in the snow, might be good for our New Zealand friends. Bob Jordan
Murphy SidingWell, now you're crossing into another realm that is going the way of the dinosaur- printed media. How’s your local newspaper doing these days? My guess is they too used to have online forumstoo. Out local newspaper can’t shed employees fast enough to keep ahead of the rolling ball of extinction.
Our local newspaper doesn't have a forum (I don't recall that it ever did), but we do have a news aggregator which also has a FB page, which kinda serves the same purpose.
Our local daily is still daily, but isn't what it used to be - even the want ads have shrunk and they're trying to figure out which comics to shed. The Syracuse daily is now three issues a week.
Even my old hometown weekly has very little local news - it's more of a regional now. Once you get past the front page, it covers a lot of geography.
Almost reminds me of the old days (before my time) when small newspapers might typeset the front page for each issue, but might just reprint what was inside from the last edition...
Our local paper had a pretty active forum, shut that down, then went to DISQUS, then replaced it with Facebook comments.
Now they have a paywall where you either have to subscribe to the physcial paper, or pay for online access. I suspect the physical paper won't be around much longer, though. I prefer the DISQUS over facebook, though.
Back on subject - I can't think of what to photograph to fit the theme. So I'll pass this month for now.
zugmannBack on subject - I can't think of what to photograph to fit the theme. So I'll pass this month for now.
Me, neither.
This will be the first Trackside in a long while that I haven't entered a photo (perhaps to the relief of the moderator), except for the times when I spaced out the deadline.
Brian Schmidt (9-4):
Seriously, Brian, archeologists 20 million years from now when they electronically find your ALTERED first (top) post will be baffled because people replied about something different that your current first post. They will probably wonder WHO was intoxicated at the time. Aren’t there repercussions for altering time?
The Time Traveler Press,
I'm guessing the number of submissions was less than impressive under the orignal deadline/restriction?
Still no idea what to take a photo of to fit the theme.
Um, When do the new photos get posted?
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
Harrison Um, When do the new photos get posted?
About the same time that the "Photo of the Day Week Month" is updated
K. P. Harrier Brian Schmidt (9-4): Seriously, Brian, archeologists 20 million years from now when they electronically find your ALTERED first (top) post will be baffled because people replied about something different that your current first post. They will probably wonder WHO was intoxicated at the time. Aren’t there repercussions for altering time? The Time Traveler Press, K.P.
Nah... archeologists will decide it was a religious ritual of some sort.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Brian, are you going to post the new photos soon?
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