Trackside with Erik and Mike, Vol. 69

[gannbb1]

No vote this week!! Both shots are great! It's just they are so diverse in subject and setting they just cannot be compared. Your commentary added intrest to both shots and I enjoyed it, but only made the comparason more difficult.

 Keep up the good work!

 

Gannb

[jrhambone]

Again, Gentlemen, two very interesting shots.  I admire the fortitude of one willing to brave the cold in the dark.  I also enjoy trying to get shots at night.  However the rail (and other) activity in the coal field gets my vote.  Too bad we can't split the ticket.

[dknelson]

With both shots you simply have to click to enlarge to grasp what is being portrayed here.  I like them both. 

Dave Nelson

[gemotor]

Solidly in the minority this time, I voted for Erik's night shot.  A tough call, as both photos have a lot of merit.  Why?  Well, for me, Mike's photo is what I call a "record shot".  I have a photo taken at Dalies, NM, with an eastbound GP60M, a westbound Dash8-40B, and a C30-7 waiting to come off the line from Albuquerque, all at the junction by the water tank.  Nice record shot, quaint, curious, interesting even if only for the circumstantial convergence of these three trains, but for all that, it's not particularly artistic.  I would love to have Mike's photo in my camera as well.  Erik's night photo is unique and more artistic what with that wonderful sky, the step lights on the Dash 9 and all.  Yep, another wedgie, but all the surrounding background elements make up for lack of creative imagination.  All those background elements just lead my eye from one to another.  Surely more could have been done with the central subject of this scene, though . . .

[NYC]

Mike's coal yard shot is a unique one.  Night shot was too dark.  My vote went with Mike's photo this week.   To both of you, you are winners.  Each week we get great railroading photographs from each of you.  Thanks.

[bnsfkline]

Well, I went with Mike's shot. Boy does that photo bring memories back to my Montana trip back in July (Wow, it seems like YEARS ago, when its actually been less than 1 year!) Thats the spot where I spotted my very first BNSF SD70ACe. Thats the main reason why I voted for his shot. Eriks shot is too dark, maybe when he was shooting it he should have adjusted the exposure by +0.5, this would have made the shot a whole lot better.

 Then again, I tend to shoot towards the sun when I want the shot.

Wheres the Antalope!

[CShaveRR]

The blue night sky in Erik's shot is appealing, but so is the railroad activity in Mike's shot.  He (Mike) wins again, in my book. 

I was in Cheyenne a week or so behind you, Mike.  Good food, lousy service at the brewery in the station.

[squeeze]

Two good shots. Went with Eric's shot as I always have a soft spot for the night time photos. Mike's shot has lots of composition. Difficult decision this time around.

[PBenham]

This looks like I'm back in my role as the kiss of death voter. I like Erik's night shot, yes it could have used some photoshop work, but the atmosphere would get lost. Mike's shot? Too cluttered for my taste, which is well.

[cpprfld]

I too went with Mike's photo. While I appreciate the time and effort Erik put in to get the photograph, it is just to dark.

[Modelcar]

...This week I must vote for Mike's coal train atmosphere. Lot's of coal train equipment included in the photo plus the action of the moving train.

In general, I like night photos but this one of Erick's seems to be too dark over all....

[Bergie]

I just posted the latest installment of Trackside with Erik and Mike in our new section within the Railroad Reference area of TrainsMag.com. 

Read Trackside with Erik and Mike Volume 69

Voting for Trackside with Erik and Mike now occures at the top of the Trackside with Erik and Mike section. Click here to vote.

Please add your comments regarding this week's photos here.

Thanks, Erik