In our online feature, Trackside with Erik and Mike, Trains.com staff members Erik Bergstrom and Mike Yuhas go trackside and share their photo results with you. In each installment, we’ll include let our users vote on who got the best shot. Read this week’s installment.
Please vote and then share your comments.
Erik’s photo is great. It emphasises the flared radiators of the SD45 and is also well lit. Mike’s photo is unfortunately backlit but if it weren’t for that, I would have voted for his instead. Had the train come from the other direction, it would have been better lit.
I liked both photos! I voted for Mike’s because Erik’s (sorry Erik), for me, it is almost too much in your face. The closeness and angle kind of obscures the locomotive.
Had to go with Eriks this week, for two reasons.
P.S. Erik, good luck with the scanner!! I use mine all the time, and it’s some times the only way I know the twice a week local train’s in town.
Noah
Had to go with Erik’s this week. I like the “in your face” closeness of it. Milke’s had really good color, but the loco’s were all too dark, except for the yellwo stripe down the side, but like it was said above, it may just be a difference in monitors. Go for that scanner Erik!
Voted for Erik’s this time round
Like the long hood forward of the SD45 especially without any CN markings!
Can’t see too many SD45s in that position now.[:(][sigh][:O]
Crap, this one was a toughy. Had to go with Eriks, though. Nice shot!
Erik and Mike made the choice difficult this week. I had to go with Erik’s though as the shot of a long hood forward movement of a WC SD45 in 2004 was too rare to note vote for. Catching the locomotive on the easement added a nice dose of interest to the photo. Plus, Erik needs to be convinced to buy a scanner. Mike’s photo with it’s vibrant colors, interesting landscape and pure WC locomotive consist was supurb and most weeks would win the contest. Nice job guys!
I voted for Eric’s shot.A head end shot of an SD45 running long hood forward.You just can’t beat that [:)][:D][:p]!!!
I was having one of those can’t sleep nights and lo and behold, the weekly update showed up on my machine. I voted for Mike’s shot as direct head on shots do not do it for me. I would have liked to see the engine from the side to be able to get the full effect. I did kind of want to wave at the engineer in Eric’s shot though. The problem is now I am really awake and ready to read the whole update.
I like this new format…and I like Erik’s photo just a tad more than Mike’s. I like the drama of the winner. I do like the color saturation in Mike’s photo, but it does sacrafice detail some.
Walt
I voted for Erik’s. The lighting was better and these days a shot of a W.C. SD45 is rare, though it dosn’t show much. I just wish it wasn’t so headon. A bit of an angle would have been better. Mike’s photo was great, but a little to dark to my liking. If it had of been lighter, it would have shown more detail. As it was, it was to dark to see any details.
[#ditto]
I think I saw this locomotive in Muskego Yard, but didn’t have time to get a picture, as I was on my way to work. Glad you got a picture of it Erik!
Mike’s picture was great too, just a little too dark for my taste.
-Mark Hintz
http://www.geocities.com/fuzzybroken
I have to go with Eric’s frontal view. It has a handsome look; portrait style and the slight curve gives definition to the train and a sense of speed.
Mike’s photo? Well after all is said and done polorizing lenses not withstanding, it still looks like an underexposed shot to me. Nice sky though.
Mark, New Brunswick
I like Mike’s shot better, even tho dark. Eric’s would be excellent for a magazine cover!
Both were very good.
Bill
I voted for Erik’s. Mike’s photo was a bit dark.
I went for Eric’s picutre because it is unusual to see a frontal view photo. Normally you see the standard right/ left front view on pictures. That brings me to Mike’s pictures, it is too dark in my eyes (or monitor), I miss the details on the tracks and body
Eric’s is the winner today…the rarity of the shot, interesting framing, and background are what sets it apart from a normal-looking WC shot.
I actually preferred Erik’s braoder view shot from earlier in the article, if only minus the pickup truck. There are so many engine and train pictures published, that I appreciate photos of the trackside tableu and shots that say railroading is more than just the machine in the front.
That said, the engineer (or is it the conductor?) in the cab really made Erik’s shot. I think Mike caught the scene and environment very well in his shot, at the loss of detail in the train itself. I appreciate his attempts at using on-camera tools to enhance his photographs. It gives results you just can’t get manipulating effects on the computer.
While I liked both photos, Erik’s shot is too nose on and thus does not allow the viewer to really see much of the whole train. Mike’s shot gives you all of the leading engines and a glimpse at some of the freight cars framed in a pretty blue sky and great greenery. So Mike wins my vote but loses Erik’s cash.