I just posted the latest installment of Trackside with Erik and Mike in our new section within the Railroad Reference area of TrainsMag.com.
Read Trackside with Erik and Mike Volume 62
Voting for Trackside with Erik and Mike now occures at the top of the Trackside with Erik and Mike section. Click here to vote.
Please add your comments regarding this week’s photos here.
Thanks, Erik
I am starting to like Erik and his night shots. After vol 61 I tried my luck from the bridge. Hats off to Erik, he has my vote, which was the first.
As much as I like yard shots, I had to go with Mike’s photo this time. There was just nothing in Erik’s photo to catch my eye.
Last time I voted for Erik’s Galesburg shot, because it conveyed action. You’d think that I could do it again–but I liked the lighting better in Mike’s night shot. Kind of takes me back to a lot of after-dark railfanning experiences I had while in high school and college. Mike got my vote this time. As you can see, I vote more from what the picture says to me than anything else, since I’m not a photographer myself. So with my unscientific and relatively insignificant vote, there is no reason for anyone to feel bad about the shot he took.
Erik’s shot seemed to show…not much. There was action but I couldn’t discern anything very specific. I voted Mike because that shot reminded me of what I like to shoot personally when I railfan. Plus I have pictures of that engine in my portfolio but his is better than them all.
I like the blur of timed-exposure action shots, but Erik’s has just alittle too much of it this time. I went with Mike’s shot.
I had to go with Mike’s this time. There are times when the motion blur technique like Erik used can work really well, but to me it just didn’t work as well this time. When I look at the shot, rather than conveying a sense of motion, it seems just plain blurred to me. I though the sharpness and well lit aspect to Mike’s more “standard” night shot was better this time. I guess that’s my two cents anyway.
Noah
This is a very hard choice. I like Erik’s shot even without a color compensation. That’s the way it looks nite. The movement doesn’t bother me either, it’s a time exposure. On the other hand, Mike’s shot is a mixture of lighting sources plus a color comp. Despite the fact it looks kind of artificial, it’s still a good shot. I guess I have to go with Mikes, but I can’t give any reasons that might tip the scale.
Thanks again guys,
Larry in Wauwatosa
ps Mike…how much further north can he go? I thought the tracks were torn up just beyond the sign! Larry
Both are great shots (:-} I had to go with Mike’s IC. [B)]
Whoa!, I voted for Erik and I’m glad I did cause he is losing 84% to 15%, and I don’t want him to feel bad. If I’d read the thread first, I’d wonder about my state of mind, or lack thereof with so many votes going to Mike. I do like Erik’s though, it’s all railroad, monochromatic and there is lots of railroad stuff to look for and at, Mike’s is nice but the silt fence and construction equipment in the new subdivision to the left of the loco kinda ruined it for me. Pretty soon the new resident’s will start complaining about the railroad noise and make the train move its tracks. Larry in Blaine (in the rain).
(an omer is one tenth of an ephah)
Nice photo Mike! You deserved my vote! Not over or under exposed in my opinon. There is also a certain amount of surrealism that puts the photo over the top! I have 2 questions for both of you… 1. Do your Canon’s have an end curtain flash feature? I have one on my camera that allows a long exposure to capture the blur of the motion but then pops the flash at the end of the exposure to give you a crisp, still exposure of what ever you are shooting such as that BNSF engine in the yard that Erik shot. (Although, you may have been out of range for the flash). 2. Any CP Christmas train photos for Vol. 63 in your plans??? I love your guys photos and look forward to each volume. Merry Christmas!
Once again I had to go with Eric’s shot. It would seem from the voting that Im in a minority here, but thats ok! I just liked the feel of the yard in the dead of night still working away at assembling and moving the cars. Thats not to say Mikes was bad in any way shape or form just that I liked the feel of Erics better.
Kofy
Nice comeback for Mike. No doubt in my mind this time regardless of a road dear to my heart.
Bergie, you can’t rest on past success, even if it was a near-tossup.
I better read up on white-balance for my 20D.
HarveyK400
Well since this is the feature that brought me back to this board I better say something. I went back over all of the previous one available. Mike’s really is great this week. I love the “sparkle?” in the headlight. As other’s have said, Erik’s really has nothing in it.
Mike’s photo better expresses the technical ability of the Canon Camera. Mike had little time to “see” the scene, make the right adjustments with the camera and compose the shot. Hard to do in the dark.
Mike gets my vote. Sorry, Erik !. For me, sharpness is all in a photograph. If O. Winston Link could stop all motion fifty years ago, I’m sure you can do it now.
It took me less than one second to decide this time. Mike’s shot is superb!!!
Mike’s picture has my vote this week. Fantastic lighting effects in the picture.
Erik’s picture is a good one, with the effects of the train moving through the yard. Fantastic trumps good.
Once again great shots guys.
The blurs didn’t do much for me in this case. I think it may have had more impact had there been more lights blurred to really show the motion, but then again maybe that would have ruined the impact of the night time shot. Either way I liked Mikes shot better, and would love to try and experiment with a similar shot sometime myself.
…No question about this one, Mike’s shot is the clear winner…A beautiful night shot. Picture is so nice with contrast and sharpness.
Engine operating lights show it is a unit alive and about to move out…
Light shining on left side of utiliy pole over on left side of picture adds realism to the shot.
In my eyes, this is the nicest shot we’ve seen from either fellow recently…