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.
This time it was a VERY hard decision. I’ll have to go with Mikes, I love BNSF. Sorry Erik.
man that was a hard choice I have a suggestion can you guys add both for the poll because I dont think I can vote twice
Erik
go back to that same location now.that foilage should be orange and red instead of green now.
stay safe
Joe
A long way away from seeing the Afternoon Hi popping out, but I like the location, so Bergie gets my vote this week.
Jay
Wow Mike,
great photo, good compisition, dramatic lighting, just great all around! I haven’t been getting out at much as I would like, but I am entering the TRAINS Mag photo contest, so look for me soon (hopefully)! [:D][;)]
I agree with NJmike this was the hardest decision so far. I picked Mikes because I felt the effect of the sunset added that extra little touch to the photo.
Andrew
I’ll have to go with Erik’s on this one. But Mike’s photo was awesome too!
I went with Mike this time. I’m not a real big fan of BNSF but I do like his photo. It seems very warm. The pink sky, pink lighting, and headlight reflection off the railhead really adds to the photo. Good composition! Eric’s photo, while also good, is a bit too dark for my taste. However, it does leave more for the imagination.
Though both photo’s were great, but I liked Erik’s the best this week. I like the dramatic effect of the train comming out of the tunnel. I can almost imagin being there and suddenly having the train pop out infront of you. I liked mikes to, a very well set up shot, but still liked Erik’s better this week.
Noah
Mike got my vote. The “dynamics” of his photo are really great, thanks to the sense of speed and power that emanate from the view, and the perspective taken… Add the great natural lighting (or lack of it…) and the haze, dusty look and you’ve got all the ingredients for a winning photo!!!
Erik’s photo is nice… but it’s just that! – “CUTE” as my aunt Mildred would say!
I’m in the same boat, but w/ the NS units on the head of a CP train, plus the high-nose “geep” as the second unit of the consist, I have to go w/ the unusual shot and w/ Erik’s shot. I like Mike’s shot, but how many times can that scene occur on that line compared to Erik’s shot on his line?
Easy pick, Mike’s shot by far is great and gets my vote. Lighting, the sky, head lights reflecting on rail, has everything of a great shot.
-Justin Franz
Boy was this week’s contest a toughie! They were both great shots and it was very, very hard to decide which one I liked more. However, there was something about Erik’s picture that eventually won me over.
In my humble opinion, it’s hard to beat the train/tunnel combination of Erik’s photo and as one earlier person commented, it would be even greater in the fall or after a snow. As a sidenote, I never realized WI had the topography to necessiate tunnels! Erik’s photo looks like it was taken in the Appalachians with the landscape and NS diesels. Mike’s photo is quite nice in its own right with the soft pink tone throughout the picture and the interesting telephoto effect.
Talk about a dilemma. I usually like shots of the engine plus the cars but the shot of the NS engines coming out of the tunnel reminded me of a black bear rising from hibernation and ready to challenge anyone or anything. That got my vote.
Mike’s photo’s got the edge thanks to fortuitous sunset lighting which complements the color scheme of the loco and rolliung stock, the reflection of the tracks and the roadbed’s interesting dip. Right time – right place. (But I really liked Erik’s shot, too).
Both shots were fine, but the lighting in Mike’s shot makes it much more dramatic. Then there’s the fact that those good old Santa Fe colors make it a warm image. You don’t get a lot of warmth out of Erik’s shot [:D]
One tough choice. Mike’s higher emotional content (for me) just tilted the scales ever so slightly so he got my vote.
I went with Erik, and I hope he goes and gets us a fall color picture from the same spot.