I thought both pix were classic and classy but I liked Mike’s a little more. Using the “rule-of-thirds” principle of photo composition (impose a tic-tac-toe grid on the picture and you should find the most interesting information not dead center on the picture, but at the intersection of two of the lines), the CP loco’s headlights fit the grid. Very handsome and harmonious. Erik’s, not quite so much, but the NS stallion logo underneath the cab came close.
By the way, I want to belatedly thank both of you for a competition earlier on that didn’t use rolling stock to define the idea of “railroad.” Liked it a lot!
Went for Mike’s shot simply because of time spent in Banff Alberta 15 years ago which those CP Rail units brought back memories off. Both shots are great, if for no other reason than the fact that living in Australia I can’t go out and get them!
Had to go with Mike’s…I love Canadian railways. Probably because I never see any of their equipment…other than CN box cars, those things are all over the place.
Chose Erik’s BNSF shot. See a occasional CP locomotive on the UP tracks out of Claremore and just prefer a mix-em-up of different locomotives that come through. You two are doing great and keep them coming.
Mike’s photo is a good photo, although I would have liked to have seen more light on the nose. But Erik’s photo is very interesting, I think it even goes agains the grain. Grain, corn, haha, bad pun! Anyway, it looked like the sharp focus was on the nose of the NS, but again, very interesting composition. It was hard to vote.
Erik’s shot helped the train look muscular in action, but my eyes kept being drawn to the in-focus leaves of the corn, instead of the train.
Also, I’m just a sucker for a train that’s partially obscured as it moves through a bend.
IM goin with Mike. Very nice shot. Erik, i just dont care for those Dash 9’s. Nice perspective, but Mikes im gonna have to say, has a lot better power, and i like where he is shootin from.
Kudos to both Mike & Eric for this installments photos. [:)]
Both shots are nicely done and choosing was difficult, but I had to vote for Eric’s picture. Mike’s photo is well done and has good composition, but it is a “typical” railroad shot, one that we’ve seen many times over.
Eric’s photo is more imaginative.[^] His composition is the more difficult of the two. It is difficult to work from the “going away” perspective, but I feel that he pulled it off. Also the use of the corn in the foreground adds a “magical” feel to the shot… It is as if the locomotives are afloat on a sea of green rather than riding steel rails. Combine the clever use of the foreground with the perspective used and you can see that Eric put more thought into his photo resulting in an distinctive piece of work. Nice job Eric! [:D]
Darn, it won’t let me vote for both. They are both great photos, but I guess that I will have to go with Eriks photo because I think it takes more skill to put together a great going away shot like that than an overhead coming on shot like Mikes. that and getting the corn and the locomotives to look good in the same photo is great. I guess I just like the weirdness of haveing a field of corn in the shot.Good job both of you this week.
It was a tough choice, but seeing the engineer in his bib overalls added so much of a human element that that clinched it for me. I really liked the unique perspective of the corn in the foreground, and I never really liked ‘portrait’ compositions (except with people), but the visible engineer was enough to sway me.