Karl Bailey
Member
I have not processed any of these. I'd like to have suggestions to fix some of the problems in-camera before PP. CC always welcome and appreciated. Thanks.
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Not sure if this is travel...
- Thread starter Karl Bailey
- Start date
Bart_van_der_Wolf
pro member
Hi Karl,
Certainly (an aspect of) travel. I like the low perspective point of the engine(s), or are they simply huge? Please elaborate about the in-camera issues you experience, so we can try and help to address them and if possible to make PP more effective/easier.
Cheers,
Baart
Karl Bailey
Member
I was just curious if there are any setting adjustments I need to do to make these better. I was using a 7D with the 18-135. I had a few that were overexposed, I know that was probably aperture or shutter speed. I was in manual mode, natural lighting. A little critique on the comp would also be helpful. The trains are huge but I was also low, sitting on the ground or kneeling for most of them. I was lucky. One train was stopped waiting for the other to pass and the 2nd train was crawling. I'm still very new to photography and I don't just want to be a GWC or taking snapshots. I'd really like to take this to a very high level. I see some of the posts here and on other boards and am in awe of many of the photographers and the quality of their work. Thank you for any comments or suggestions.
I have not processed any of these. I'd like to have suggestions to fix some of the problems in-camera before PP. CC always welcome and appreciated. Thanks.
I wouldn't go looking for problems that aren't there - this has a considerable impact. It deserves to be printed big. Very big.
The railway lines running from the vanishing points + you being a little bit lower gives me the feeling of a kind of ponderous speed that all freight trains seem to have. I get the feeling it's not going anywhere in a hurry, but also that there's no chance of stopping it.
I think it would be a waste of time to worry about the settings when you can make that kind of shot.
Sam
George Holroyd
New member
I think number 2 and 4 are both keepers, those two images have impact. It looks like you've got a good starting point for post-processing.
Karl Bailey
Member
Thank you. I appreciate the comments. I'm always looking to improve and value your opinions and expertise.
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Karl,
Overall you've done well for someone just starting out. I generally print out a copy in B&W and then make notes on it as to what might be improved. So here immediately the subject can be divided into two major elements: the darker moving train going coming from the skyline in the distance and then the bleached out dry landscape with straw colored grass and whitened rocks at the ides of the track.
Do you have a program that you can edit your pictures in? This is important as one might want to make local adjustments to one picture, or else combine certain elements from one picture and others from a second picture of the same scene. Since the land is not moving, first take the picture of the train and then using the same camera position photograph the landscape, under-exposing a little to increase the richness of the colors.
Make sure the camera is set to take Raw and JPG as down the road you'll want to rework the best images using RAW processing software. You might want to use Adobe Lightroom or Apple's Aperture Pro, or use layers in either GIMP, (that's free) or else Adobe Photoshop.
According to how you choose to process the images, we can discuss how to use the information from the kinds images you make.
Asher
Karl Bailey
Member
Asher,
Thank you for the comments. I do have Photoshop, although I'm not very skilled with it. I will do what you have suggested here and see what I can come up with. I plan on going back to this location when it greens up a little. I wasn't happy with the dead fawna but tis the season here in North Texas. It just seemed a little blah to me and I wanted the colors to be richer.
Thank you for the comments. I do have Photoshop, although I'm not very skilled with it. I will do what you have suggested here and see what I can come up with. I plan on going back to this location when it greens up a little. I wasn't happy with the dead fawna but tis the season here in North Texas. It just seemed a little blah to me and I wanted the colors to be richer.
Karl,
Overall you've done well for someone just starting out. I generally print out a copy in B&W and then make notes on it as to what might be improved. So here immediately the subject can be divided into two major elements: the darker moving train going coming from the skyline in the distance and then the bleached out dry landscape with straw colored grass and whitened rocks at the ides of the track.
Do you have a program that you can edit your pictures in? This is important as one might want to make local adjustments to one picture, or else combine certain elements from one picture and others from a second picture of the same scene. Since the land is not moving, first take the picture of the train and then using the same camera position photograph the landscape, under-exposing a little to increase the richness of the colors.
Make sure the camera is set to take Raw and JPG as down the road you'll want to rework the best images using RAW processing software. You might want to use Adobe Lightroom or Apple's Aperture Pro, or use layers in either GIMP, (that's free) or else Adobe Photoshop.
According to how you choose to process the images, we can discuss how to use the information from the kinds images you make.
Asher
Robert Watcher
Well-known member
I have never photographed trains, so can only presume how I could tackle such a shot. The biggest problem for me is that all the shots you have shown, are very nice record shots where the details of the train shows nicely. If I were a lover of that particular model of train, I would be very pleased to have a print of that on my wall.
From a creative perspective, I presume that I would be looking for a more interesting setting than a normal railway crossing. If this was all that I had to work with, I may shoot with an ultrawide lens from a very low angle and really exaggerate the perspective. I can see that a long telephoto lens would also give a very nice perspective, and I would probably prefer using such a lens from a high angle shooting down or straight on closeup of the engine. Motion would provide some interest as well. I would tray and shoot at a time of day for more dramatic lighting - for a great sky and nice colors. A more interesting setting. Maybe even tracks with a corner or curve in it. It would take a bit of effort for sure, but probably worth the effort.
But overall - the 3 train images are well enough done. The last one of the crossing light, is a total miss - misfocused and not too interesting content wise, and I would just leave it out.
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From a creative perspective, I presume that I would be looking for a more interesting setting than a normal railway crossing. If this was all that I had to work with, I may shoot with an ultrawide lens from a very low angle and really exaggerate the perspective. I can see that a long telephoto lens would also give a very nice perspective, and I would probably prefer using such a lens from a high angle shooting down or straight on closeup of the engine. Motion would provide some interest as well. I would tray and shoot at a time of day for more dramatic lighting - for a great sky and nice colors. A more interesting setting. Maybe even tracks with a corner or curve in it. It would take a bit of effort for sure, but probably worth the effort.
But overall - the 3 train images are well enough done. The last one of the crossing light, is a total miss - misfocused and not too interesting content wise, and I would just leave it out.
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Karl Bailey
Member
Robert,
Thank you for the comments. I agree with the creative angle. This is a pretty blah intersection, and was more of an opportunistic shot than one planned out. I am going to go to some other locations along this track and different times of day to see if I can't come up with something more interesting. Thank you again.
Thank you for the comments. I agree with the creative angle. This is a pretty blah intersection, and was more of an opportunistic shot than one planned out. I am going to go to some other locations along this track and different times of day to see if I can't come up with something more interesting. Thank you again.