Railpictutre has done it now!

[Glen Ellyn]

I know that all railpicture columns have been dumped, but this is something I have to get out. How can they accept this http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=18087 but not this, http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=98724

On a seperate notice, I think I know why these people won't accept any of our photo's. I think they only accept phot's from their friends.

[csxengineer98]

listen... its not your websight..its thiers... they have the right to post and not post what ever they want.... if you think your not being treated far...start your own webpage and post your pics... insted of coming in here to complain..do something more constructive with your time ..like your own webpage...
csx engineer

[coborn35]

There is to much clutter in your pic. Plus, the other one is operation lifesaver, on a CN&W unit. Kinda Rare!

[ajmiller]

I read your posts about your picture on the Railpictures.net forums and the people who responded there were correct. It's a fine location, but the crossing arm messes it up. If there's something in the foreground that distracts the viewer's eye from the train, it's probably going to get rejected.

I haven't had that much luck with RailPictures either, but I've kept trying and I've got 6 pictures up there so far.
http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=3158
There are some photographers with 100's or 1000's of pictures up there, and they may be more tolerant of lesser quality shots from those people, but if you send them something really good, they will accept it.

Most of the pics I got accepted, I had to crop to get the train more in the center of view. One pic I cropped got rejected, so I sent them the uncropped version, and they took it.

All I can say is to keep trying. But not with that pic. I don't think there's any way to fix it unless you are a Photoshop expert and can erase the crossing gate and fill in what it hides.

[adrianspeeder]

In my own opinion, the pic is too cluttered. It is their site, and they can do whatever they want.

Adrianspeeder

[Anonymous]

Composition problems. Too much extraneous foreground stuff, parking lot, post & crossing arm. The background house on the right throws the balance off.

I'm not sure, but I don't think they would even accept it "from their friends."

Wayne

[oltmannd]

Given that they want to screen shots for quality and that is rather subjective task, it is not surprising that the results do not appear to be uniform.

I know it can be frustrating to be rejected and it's a good ego boost to get a pix accepted, but the bottom line is it's their site and they can do as they see fit.

Lately, I only upload the best of my best to them and if they reject it, off to rrpicturearchives I go.

[oltmannd]

Also, that picture was accepted almost two years ago, before they tightened their standards.

[tree68]

I'll go along with the clutter problem, although I find the crossing arm less of an issue than the post in the lower left corner. Some judicious cropping would do the picture a world of good. As Muddy said, the house is totally extraneous.

On the plus side, the picture does show a RR at work, hardly a bad thing, and in a RR environment.

See if this doesn't look a little better:

[MP173]

I think your shot is a good shot, but not great.

The thing that jumps out at me in comparing the two photos is the crisp focus and lighting on the nose of the CNW unit. The lighting is dramatic. The sun angle is very low and explodes the nose of the unit. Also, note the difference between the the light and darkness on both photos. On the accepted unit there is a certain level of mystery surrounding the train. Not so much with yours.

Also, either your shot is slightly out of focus or the lighting doesnt do you justice (I think that is the case).

Personally, I enjoy the high quality of railpictures. They set the bar very high. I look at rrpictures when I want to see volumes of pictures, generally at a single location. Most of the photos there are of much lesser quality.

Now, having said all of that....I have only had 2 photos every published and that was 30 years ago. I dont try. I know the amount of hard work and LUCK that goes into a great railroad picture. I am not that good, dont have the time, and am almost always disappointed when I see my end results.

I like your shot. I like it a lot. Why? Because it shows one of my favorite objects...a tower. Not only that, but it is an active tower with the towerman observing the train.

I have used crossing gates to compose shots in the past and have generally been disapppointed. It would work if you were stopped down to about f4 and the gate was "out of focus". In other words use it as a frame, and not as a focal object.

My suggestion is to go back to West Chicago early or late on a crystal clear day and compose your shots. Plan them out. Accept your final result but have a critical eye to what could have been better.

If I remember correctly, you are 16 years old or so. You have a fine future ahead of you. My train shots at that age were BAD, really BAD!

Dont worry about rejection. Actually get used to it. It is a fact of life.

Ed

[Anonymous]

That CNW photo was added in June 2003, before the standards were as strict as they are now. Yes, the photo is backlit, but the paint scheme is rare.

[Glen Ellyn]

Thanks for the advies, and thanks for the redo tree68.

[UPTRAIN]

I like the CNW unit, the lighting was off though, your shot was very dramatic and I like that paint scheme for some reason, I got to see one J unit in Chicago last summer, very flashy, my vision is just now starting to return. [:D]

[BaltACD]

I am glad Railpictures.net has the high quality standards that they do. It is so easy to take a bad picture and so hard to get one that is REALLY good.

As a master of taking bad pictures I appreciate the skill and artistry of those that take the quality of pictures that Railpictures.net will accept!

[ajmiller]

Hey, someone's moving in on your turf, man! [:D]
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=103827

[MP173]

Glen:

Compare the two photos (yours and the other of the tower) and notice the difference and use that to improve yours.

The other photographer was very fortunate to have several things going:
1. Really dramatic lighting...not only is it late afternoon, but also winter so the tower is really lit up.
2. Notice the drama of the clouds. While the sun is shining, there is an ominous feel in the air.
3. The photo is well composed without the neighborhood houses, which really dont add much.
4. The coup de grace is the interaction between the towerman and the train. The photographer caught it at the exact right moment.

ed

[BaltACD]

One other thing I'll add.....not all great picture are made that way in the camera.

To us that view them, it looks like it was made only in the camera.....however, as Tree68's crop (which is the first step in making a 'good' picture) shows there is more to getting a publishable picture than just snapping the shutter. I doesn't matter if the photog is you Glen Ellyn or the most accomplished professional.