Vol. 166 of Trackside with Trains features images from seven photographers, including one Trains magazine reader.
This round's theme: Dark Sky.
View the selection and vote for your favorite!
-Matt Quandt Online Content Editor Kalmbach Publishing Co.
Tom Nanno's got my vote...all had good dark skies, but TN's pic was more ecnompassing of the dark side of the word dark....something more impending than just a train.
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I voted for Andy, since his intentionally included the sky, even if it was not as black as some I've seen. Tom Danneman had darker sky but he didn't include enough in the frame for it to be a strong part of the image. Tom Nanos I would characterize as gloomy, rather than out and out dark! The night shots I considered to following a different theme.
John
I agree--taking a night shot, though an art in itself, was too easy for this one. I almost hated to knock out the reader submission, because it's in home territory.
Andy, with his rainbow in the sky, nearly got my vote. But I'm giving it to Tom Dannemann, whose picture was overall more colorful (or more of the colors toward which I'm prejudiced).
Drew, with the wind-blown grasses in front of the locomotive there, I'd say you definitely caught the mood, both in photography and prose!
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Although my opinion might be slightly biased, I feel as though none of the photos held a candle to the ones I submitted (no offense intended to the photographers). Although I do wonder what the criteria are for selecting the reader submissions.
Went with Tom Nannos this time. The sky was dark and right in your face with the added discomfort of rain and the threatening transmission lines looming above. It portrayed a "dark and a stormy night" with an element of fear that would have made me want to finish the job and get home to my family.
I liked Mike's - both a good shot of trains and a good shot of nasty dark sky!
zardoz Although my opinion might be slightly biased, I feel as though none of the photos held a candle to the ones I submitted (no offense intended to the photographers). Although I do wonder what the criteria are for selecting the reader submissions.
A couple of times I have considered submitting, but each time the "round tuit" was missing. Maybe we should start a thread with ones that missed the cut, or the deadline. I have at least one dramatic "dark sky" shot but it is on film and scanned images do not qualify. The rules specify only images made with digital cameras, and perhaps the background EXIF file must still be attached to prove it.
.....This series....is not the kind of photo I would try to sort out and or find....."Dark Skies", not very appealing to me.
Sorting thru all photos, I chose Tom Dannerman's rendition of the theme. The "Rail Link" consist.
Question: Do I see a seat belt {shoulder belt}, on the engineer....? If so, I was unaware they were used at the Engineer's seat.
Quentin
cx500Maybe we should start a thread with ones that missed the cut, or the deadline.
I've done that once or twice, usually in the Lounge thread.
We could entitle the thread "Also Rans Number XXX...
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...
tree68 cx500: Maybe we should start a thread with ones that missed the cut, or the deadline. I've done that once or twice, usually in the Lounge thread. We could entitle the thread "Also Rans Number XXX...
cx500: Maybe we should start a thread with ones that missed the cut, or the deadline.
Dan
CNW 6000 tree68: cx500: Maybe we should start a thread with ones that missed the cut, or the deadline. I've done that once or twice, usually in the Lounge thread. We could entitle the thread "Also Rans Number XXX... Agreed, great call Larry. Those who didn't make the cut could always link or post their own to prevent the Trains folks from having one more thing to do. Or they could opt out if they chose.
tree68: cx500: Maybe we should start a thread with ones that missed the cut, or the deadline. I've done that once or twice, usually in the Lounge thread. We could entitle the thread "Also Rans Number XXX...
Agreed, great call Larry. Those who didn't make the cut could always link or post their own to prevent the Trains folks from having one more thing to do. Or they could opt out if they chose.
I will try and answer both of your points.
As the reader whose submission was chosen for this round, I take no offense, as I have felt the same as you several times when I have sent in entries that I thought were better than the chosen one. For this round, Dark Sky, I went with a night shot, which is one of my favorite photos. As I said in my commentary, Dark Sky can mean many things, and take place at any time, day or night. Most who have responded here seem to have taken the interpretation that it means during the day, a stormy dark sky. Oh well, that is what makes this so interesting, trying to figure out exactly what the "theme" is to mean. I took it to mean a dark sky, day or night, so I sent in the photo I did.
For those who voted for my shot, thank you very much.
As for your question about the criteria, it was answered by Andy Cummings in the vol. 159 thread as follows:
Folks —
Based on a couple of the comments, looks like it's time to clarify how this thing works:
We have a regular panel that's invited to contribute every week, including people in the building and people on the outside. Then, we solicit reader submissions, and pick one reader submission each week. We'd love to include more, but the staff time involved precludes us from doing so. We just don't have the resources to have full-fledged participation. To those who submit and haven't been picked, I'm sorry, and I hope you'll continue to do so. But that's how it works.
For those wishing to submit, send your jpeg to trackside@trains.com. Be sure to include a paragraph or two of caption info, camera/exposure info, and your name and hometown. The subject is announced on this forum in advance of the competition each week.
To which I responded: Your response brings one question to my mind. I had thought that you looked at all the reader submissions, and then choose the best for the theme. You answer seems to imply that you do not look at them all, you just choose one out of the pile, so to speak, and then use it.
Just wondering, is it talent, quality, or just plain old luck?
Andy's response to my post was:
I pretty much grab a photo and run it, so it's mainly a matter of luck. Obviously, if a given photo is extremely bad or doesn't follow the rules, I won't pick it. Also, if somebody was the chosen reader last round, I probably won't choose them this round. Otherwise, it's pretty much a grab.
Believe me, we'd like to do more reader submissions, but at this point, staff time is a real constraint. We will continue exploring ways to include you folks more.
Hope this helps.
Don
I voted for Tom Nano's photo. The Norfolk Southern train was well framed with the power lines. I like the contrast between the head lights and signal lights with the dark sky. You can not ask for a darker sky. TM's photo had an urban gritty feel too it. Very good picture.
King, NC.
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