Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad charter (photos)

[mfmalk]

Last month I traveled to the west coast for the photo charters hosted by the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad and Lerro Productions. Three days of bright sun followed by two more of dense morning fog provided great atmosphere and mood. With my cameras I approached these excursions wanting to target dark overtones and the human element within railroading; this collection offers both. What I did not expect was to be so captivated by the brakeman riding on the end car of the log train – I made it a point to focus on him.

Purposely distancing myself from color with this gallery, I removed the distraction of its inherent dynamic emotions, contrast, and visual intensity by working in monochrome to reduce the scene’s essentials. I hope the viewer instead keys in on substance; light, shadow, negative space, lines, shapes, textures, range of tone, minimalism, composition, and relation of elements in the frame. Our eyes see the world in color, with black and white comes the increased opportunity for the observer to instead pause and explore the vital ingredients of each image.

https://www.losttracksoftime.com/p47324941

 

Follow the above link, and enjoy...

Matthew

[Paul of Covington]

   Thanks, Matthew.   As usual, I really enjoy seeing your work.  I've always been kinda partial to black-and-white, and I especially like the dramatic effect of the stark silhouettes.

[spsffan]

Wow Matthew! Those are impressive. And they wouldn't have been half as good in color. You have a great eye. 

[Firelock76]

Great work as always Matthew!  Words fail me, so...

[Penny Trains]

They fail me too! 

[mfmalk]

Thank you everyone for your warm compliments!

The first three days of this charter were perfect late summer days - not a cloud in the sky and bright vibrant colors. The photos are ok, but things ramped up for me at sunset, and really kicked into high gear the 4th and 5th days when the thick fog dominated the mornings. The final day I chose to chase with my car instead of riding the train, capturing some of the best images in this collection. 

Matthew