This week’s theme is “the dark side.” Often times we seek the perfect lighting conditions when photographing trains. Other times we end up shooting from the shadowed side, either by choice or circumstance. This week we’re looking for the latter. Submissions should be sent to trackside@trainsmag.com no latter than 4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25. For full guidelines, and to see previous Trackside with Trains contests, go to http://trn.trains.com/photos-videos/trackside.
I’m not altogether sure what you mean by ‘choice’ and ‘circumstance.’ The latter implies that if I find my subject backlit, I’m somehow obligated to make a photo regardless. It seems more that if I find my subject in less-than-perfect lighting, I still have a choice: shoot or don’t shoot.
It sounds like you might have posted your reply as sometimes I do, with a tinge of sleep deprivation.
What Mr. Halverson was trying to convey is NOT the choice to take a photo or not, but the CIRCUMSTANCES that dictate if we want to take a certain photo at that time of day and under the situation CIRCUMSTANCES thereat, the photo(s) would have to be taken under shade conditions.
Now, in theory, I could have taken the above photos on the other side of the western end of the Milliken Ave. Flyover (Ontario, CA), the sun side. But, I would have had to trespass, break gate locks, and perhaps shoot a vicious dog or two, and possibly get myself put in jail. Yes, CIRCUMSTANCES dictated the photos if I so chose to do so be taken on the shade side.
On the other hand, let’s all start a ‘will of the people&rsq