This week’s installment of Trackside with Erik and Mike is now live within the Railroading section on the Trains.com home page. Please read this week’s column first then vote for your favorite photo below. Click here to read Trackside with Erik and Mike Vol. 45.
I like Mike’s night shot best, even with the grain. His daytime shot is too plain. Eric’s also has its flaws, but it shows the actions and the night lighting is quite good. The camera (or maybe the photographer) handled a difficult lighting situation well.
Hands down, A real Train over a scale!!
I voted for mike because I like real full size trains. Even so, Eriks photo was good and gives up and coming rail fans a place to start.
I liked Mike’s night shot also. Very decent considering the conditions. Keep up the good work!
I like real trains, however both are good pictures, I voted for Mike’s photo.
Would any of you like mud pictures from Washington State we are awash in water at 29 straight days of wet stuff.
Did you not read my narrative in the column? Think about photography, not just the subject.
Erik
Did he just call me an up and coming rail fan? [:o)]
Erik
I also liked Mike’s night shot the best. I voted for Mike’s photo because I like full size trains the best for the contest.
I liked Eric’s photo. The picture of the steam coming up was a great shot. Like you said, Eric, look at the shot not what the subject is.
I’m always amazed that this is the palce where a lot of people have their first posts!
I like Bergie’s photo, it’s just so much more colourful and interesting…The CP shot is just so drab, eh?
Mike! What are you doing? I would have had a terrible time picking between you two if you had used your other shot! As it is, the lighting of the night shot is so moody that it wins hands down.
We also get a sense of people in the Erik’s shot as well. It tells a story…note the little kid in the first gon. Can you imagine riding behind a live steam engine, just his size? The anticipation is obviously building as they are loading into the cars, but haven’t left the station, yet. Ohhhh…I like it Bergie!
BTW, Mike. Noise Ninja and other similar Photoshop plug-ins can help with the noise. And, if you’re willing to go another route, convert the image to B&W, and leave the noise as is. Voila! It’s like you’re shooting Tri-X. I never liked 35mm Tri-X during the daytime, but for some reason, grain in night shots like yours always seems to work for me.
Sorry Erik,
I gotta go with the “real” train.
I voted for Mike, not because of the fact that it’s a full size locomotive. I chose because, for me, what detracted from Eric’s photo was the glare of the station lights. Maybe a polerizing filter might help? In Mike’s shot, there’s just enough light on the rails from the ditch lights to let you know that it’s not just a gloomy day, it’s late on a gloomy day.
That’s my two cents.
To me, the scale model looked sort of childish. After a few minutes of looking at Erik’s shot, I pretty much made up my mind to vote for Mike’s shot.
I loved both of these photos but I ended up going for Erik’s. It was a great idea and a fresh change. I like how it shows the light shining of the steamer and the movement at the platform, it just looks so alive, AWSOME!
I voted for Eric’s photo. His reminder that overall photographic quality should be considered DID remind me it’s importance, but that’s not why I voted for his photo. I did so because, (1) it tells a story and (2) Mike’s photo is …well, cliche. The new year ought to start off by looking beyond the old hat. After all, this IS digital photography now. One bit of advice for Eric, though. If it is possible to reduce or even eliminate the glare from the bright light shining directly into the camera lens on relatively long exposures (2 seconds), you should do it.
I took a photo course in college back in the 60’s (when film was king) and vaguely remember being taught how to do this. Unfortunately, the old gray matter can’t recall it anymore.
Mike, what’re you saving the good stuff for? That early evening December 30 Union Pacific in the pass shot gets my vote. Too bad that was not up for voting. Great composition with the interesting building illuminated by the headlight, outstanding mood, just enough light on the side of the locomotive to satisfy a railfan, too (that is, one can read the road name and speculate on whether it’s a GP50 or 60).
Hi!
First of all, best wishes to you for this New Year! Hope you give us another year of trackside dreams and icons!
I voted for Mike’s shot because I like the way details come out, even though light and weather were not on your side. Erik, your picture’s cool, but as you say subject does not prevail, and I was annoyed by the kind of saturated sources of light on the picture. Not that I am a photo expert, but they appear too fuzzy for me. Hope you get my point…
Thanks to both of you anyways, keep up the good work!
Take care,
Vianney Roge
France
Voted for Eric’s 5/12 shot. Mike entered the wrong shot. the evening shot was a winned by any standard. A little grain is healthy!
Happy New Year
Chuck Hinrichs